Sub-Zero: Origins
by Poe's Daughter
Summary: This is a Sub-Zero origins story that intertwines elements from the games and the TV shows. It's about how the younger Sub-Zero finds a path independent of his brother's, and how he comes to fight for Raiden and the forces of good.
1. The Death of Sub-Zero

Sub-Zero sank to the ground. Ribs, newly broken, with jagged edges stabbing at his lungs, constricted his cold breath. He gasped for air and looked up at his opponent, a demonic entity who enjoyed his discomfort. Fire blazed in his enemy's eyes. He swallowed hard and felt the sharp pain pulse throughout his chest, but he willed it away. Pain was the mark of a weak mind. The black and yellow clad man yanked violently on the rope tied to the large kunai blade stuck in Sub-Zero's rib. A wet crack filled the air as the blade whipped back to its master. New pain coursed through Sub-Zero's body. He collapsed into the dirt, writhing and clutching his bloody chest armor as the spirit of the man he killed only a week before kicked him over and over in the stomach. Bile and blood mingled in his mouth, and he vomited on the ground before the demon finally stopped its assault.

"Vengeance will be mine!" Sub-Zero's opponent, a powerful Japanese ninja who went by the code-name Scorpion, roared. He strained to push himself up, but his opponent kicked him back into the sandy dirt.

"I didn't kill your family," he coughed, almost pleaded, and it was true. He had killed Scorpion, yes, to recover the map that led to the location of Shinnok's amulet. But he did not kill the Shirai Ryu, Scorpion's clan, even though they were the Lin Kuei's mortal enemies, nor did he kill his wife and son. Sub-Zero did not know why Scorpion was convinced that he was the responsible assassin.

Somewhere close behind him, the distant voices of the bloodthirsty crowd cheered. He heard Shang Tsung's voice, hungry for death, yell over them, "Finish him!" On cue, Scorpion gripped Sub-Zero by his throat and threw him onto his back in order to look him in the eyes. Without a word, he peeled off his black cowl and yellow mask to reveal not the face of an angry, grief-stricken man, but a human skull wreathed in flames. The demon opened his bony mouth to breathe hellfire at the Cryomancer, and before the white-hot flames reached him, Sub-Zero thought of his brother, Kuai Liang, one last time. _I'm sorry, Brother_, he said to himself as if his will could make Tundra hear his thoughts. Then, the fire, a living entity all its own, coiled itself around him and tore into his flesh, devouring him like a mighty dragon. The last thing he heard before everything went dark was the sound of his own voice screaming.


	2. Tundra

_Brother_.

A faint whisper, but clearly Bi-han.

_I'm sorry, Brother._

Louder now, and afraid.

_Get over here!_ a deep, inhuman voice roared.

In the spartan quarters he shared with Tomas and Bi-han, sitting upon his thin mat with legs crossed and eyes closed, Kuai Liang felt a sharp pain in his chest that jarred him from his meditation. His older brother had been gone for several weeks now, off on some mission whose details had remained a mystery to the younger Cryomancer. That was the way the Order worked – on a need to know basis – and evidently, Kuai Liang didn't need to know. Something was wrong though, he _sensed_ it, though he couldn't put his finger on it. He rubbed his now tender pectoral muscles until the pain subsided.

Rising to his feet, he convinced himself he was imagining things. He had been training with his fellow Lin Kuei warriors all day, and Tomas had struck him in the chest during their sparring match. At the time, the blow had not hurt him much, but perhaps the adrenaline surging through his blood masked a deeper injury. He simply associated the pain with Bi-han because Bi-han was fond of inflicting it on him.

Kuai Liang looked Caucasian, in spite of his Chinese name, and that's because he was. He was twenty-five years old, six-foot-two and a healthy two hundred pounds, hair the color of dark chocolate, sapphire blue eyes, even white teeth, and lightly tanned and flawless skin save for a thin, purplish-blue scar stretched over his right eye. It was a badge of honor earned in a fight against a Shaolin monk years ago, when he was eighteen, in a Lin Kuei rite of passage that marked his ascension to manhood. Apart from that scar, he was the mirror image of his older brother, Bi-han.

He had wanted to go on the mission with him, and he had even asked for permission to accompany Sub-Zero, but the Grandmaster refused. Tundra was too young and too emotional to be trusted with such a delicate operation. Kuai Liang resented Oniro's doubt in him, but even though he dreamed of seeing the world beyond the Lin Kuei temple and the surrounding Chinese province of Xizang, Tibet to westerners, he did not argue further. Oniro had executed their father for arguing with him. Oniro executed _anyone_ who argued with him.

As Kuai Liang finished rolling up his meditation mat, Tomas, his lifelong friend, his _pr̆ítel_, sauntered into the room. Tomas, code-name Smoke, was like a second brother, and just like a brother, he promptly flicked him on the ear.

Kuai Liang glared at him. "Why do you always do that?" he demanded to know as he stacked his mat neatly against the wall.

"Because your angry face is so adorable," he answered in his moderate Czech accent.

It was a daily ritual. Tomas would juvenilely pester him, Kuai Liang would ask why, Tomas would give him a brazen answer, nothing would be resolved, and they would repeat the process all over again the next day. Though humor was highly frowned upon by the Order, Tomas snuck it in when no one but Kuai Liang was looking. It had been the only thing that made life bearable, though the youngest Cryomancer would never admit it to his obnoxious best friend, even under the threat of death.

"I think you bruised one of my ribs today," Tundra stated as he rubbed his chest again, ignoring Tomas' joke.

"Old men bruise easily," his friend chided.

"What are you talking about? You're older than me!" It was true. Tomas was two years his senior.

"Better looking, too." Smoke grinned as he grabbed his own mat from the corner where the men stacked them, unrolled it, and flopped down on it. "By the way, Oniro has called an assembly tonight."

"What for?"

"I'm not sure, but my money's on how he solved the mystery of why he's such a _voleh_."

Kuai Liang rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He knew Smoke had just leveled a curse at the Grandmaster in Czech. "That's disrespectful."

Tomas smirked again as he picked up his tattered copy of _The Art of War_. "That's nothing. You should hear the things I say about you behind _your_ back."

Kuai Liang shook his head in a combination of disgust and defeat. He knew this argument was going nowhere in a hurry. Tomas, like his brother Bi-han, was inherently rebellious of the Grandmaster and deeply resentful of his life in the Lin Kuei. He had been a seven-year-old orphan running around the streets of Prague when the Seekers, the sect of the Lin Kuei who brought in new recruits, found him. Sporting a mysterious head wound as well as several strange cuts and bruises all over his body, his previous memories were permanently wiped from his mind. Also strange was his hair; fine and the color of Himalayan snow, floating on the air as if perpetually lifted by a gentle wind, it was the hair of someone advanced in age, not of a child. The Healers had nursed him back to health, and when he was strong enough, he was trained to serve the Order. It was soon discovered by the Masters that he had a magical gift that allowed him to wield the power of smoke, but no one, not even the Elders or Grandmaster Oniro, could explain where this ability had come from. But just as they had exploited Sub-Zero and Tundra's freezing abilities, the Lin Kuei exploited his to the limits as well, and Tomas resented being used.

"I'm going to practice my Cryomancy," he announced, stretching.

Tomas looked up at him with an inquisitive eyebrow raised. "Again? You've been at it non-stop since your brother left."

"I have yet to master the kori sword like he has."

"So you think that if you master it before he comes home, you can impress him with it when he returns, and everything will be puppies and rainbows between you?"

Something like a cross between an agitated grunt and impatient sigh escaped Kuai Liang. "Not exactly. Having such a weapon in his arsenal makes him a stronger warrior. I would be a fool not to master it as well."

"You're a fool already, Tundra," he replied. "It's not the weapon that makes the warrior strong, it's his heart."

"Says the man who would lay around all day if he could get away with it," he snapped. He was tired of his friend.

Smoke threw his book aside and hopped to his feet. "Are you saying I'm lazy?" he demanded to know.

"That's what you say," Kuai Liang replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Would you like to see how lazy I've been?"

Tundra raised his fist to strike, but thought better of lashing out against his friend. The Lin Kuei, but especially Grandmaster Oniro, did not tolerate its warriors fighting against each other. Oniro would think nothing of making an example of the two men. He lowered his fist, grunted in frustration, and then turned to leave.

"Yeah, keep walking," Tomas barked as he walked away. The hairs on Kuai Liang's neck bristled in agitation, but he forced himself not to look back. He had tried very hard to suppress his emotions as of late because Oniro, in his father's absence, charged him as weak for feeling them. Sometimes, however, they still broke through his icy exterior, and when they did, he had to work twice as hard to keep them from snowballing out of control. At the moment, he was angry with himself for snapping at his friend. He was not sure why he did in the first place. He would meditate on it later, when his chi was calm.

"Tundra," Huang, an older warrior who was the Grandmaster's most trusted advisor, called. The Cryomancer stopped and faced him. He stood at the end of the dim corridor lined with marble statues of great Chinese warriors like Yue Fei. Kuai Liang looked at him expectantly, and he continued: "The Grandmaster wishes to see you."

Kuai Liang blinked and breathed deeply to calm his wildly thumping heart. He could only imagine what Oniro wanted, but experience had taught him that the Grandmaster never summoned anyone idly. He bowed to Huang and followed him to the Great Hall.

An old, Japanese man hunched inside a blood-red robe stood in silence at the front of the room. His hair was long and white, and he sported an equally white horseshoe mustache that dangled over his jowls to his chest. His face was wrinkled and gaunt, and his beady black eyes were sunken, but fixated on him. Overall, the man looked deceivingly weak, but Tundra knew better. Oniro was the deadliest Lin Kuei warrior alive. Tundra immediately went to him and bowed respectfully, but he did not speak. Custom dictated that the younger warriors did not speak to the Grandmaster until he had spoken to them first. The Cryomancer did not rise from his bow until he heard Oniro tell him to.

"I have summoned you, Tundra, because you let your emotions rule you," he spoke in awkward Cantonese, the traditional language used in the Lin Kuei temple. Originally hailing from Osaka in Japan, he spoke very little English and struggled with Chinese, unlike many of his younger warriors. "This has made me question your abilities, as I'm sure you well know."

"I'm one of the strongest warriors in the Lin Kuei," he protested, also in flawless Cantonese. Unlike his Grandmaster, unlike his brethren, Tundra was fluent in several languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tibetan, Nepalese, Japanese, and Korean. Tomas had also been teaching him some Czech as well, and in his free time he had begun studying the Romantic languages from Europe. His genius for easily picking up new languages did not concern the Grandmaster at the moment, however.

Oniro raised a white eyebrow. "You give yourself far too much credit. You have excelled in your combat training, to be sure, quite in defiance of my every expectation of you. But you have no control, no mastery over your spirit. You allow it to control you, not the other way around. Your rebellious brother, such as he is, at least understands that emotion weakens even the most knowledgeable warrior. For someone who has mastered all cold things pertaining to winter, you burn quite hot, as if you are always on fire."

"I have worked hard to snub out all my emotions," he argued, ignoring the stab of pain at his wounded pride. He didn't know what hurt worse: hearing that Oniro thought him merely a mediocre fighter, or hearing that the Grandmaster thought him fiery and out-of-control. He softly inhaled through his nose to dull that pain, reminding himself that pain was the mark of a weak mind.

"Indeed," the old man acknowledged, oblivious to his student's unhappiness. "Your efforts have not escaped my attention. Still, Kuai Liang, son of An Zhi, I am far from convinced that you will ever be a great warrior."

"Let me prove it to you, Grandmaster," he blurted out.

Oniro stood silently before him once again, his black eyes fixated on him in quiet contemplation. "Very well." He raised his hand to signal the guards at the main entrance. "Bring in the prisoner."

_Prisoner?_ Kuai Liang thought to himself in surprise as the guards disappeared through the arched doorway. The Lin Kuei weren't in the habit of taking prisoners, much less bringing them to their secret temple.

A moment later, the guards returned dragging an elderly man, Xiao-Ping, in their arms. Tundra's heart leaped into his chest when he recognized the man as a merchant from the village, Tingri, a few thousand feet below the Lin Kuei temple. He had known the man all his life. When they were children, he and Tomas had frequently visited his shop in the little mountain village below the Lin Kuei temple, and he would slip them candy, free of charge, before telling them stories of the old days. A kind man, he had always been generous to his family and neighbors, and had doted on the two boys like his own grandchildren. He, like Kuai Liang's best friend, had been one of the bright spots from the Cryomancer's childhood that helped guide him through the perpetual darkness. Yet, Xiao-Ping had not been treated with that same kindness. Whoever had captured him had beaten him silly; he sported a black eye and a split lip.

"This villager has defaulted on a loan that was made to him. The Lin Kuei were hired to take it out of his hide," Oniro explained.

Tundra did not like the sound of where this was going. Xiao-Ping recognized him and began to weep. "It was a bad harvest," he rattled off in hasty Tibetan. "Please, give me more time. Kuai Liang, make them listen!"

"Grandmaster…" the young warrior began hesitantly but was abruptly cut off.

"Silence!" he barked at his subordinate. Then he met Kuai Liang's expectant gaze. "This is your test. Prove to me that you have put aside all your emotions. Kill him!"

Tundra swallowed and nodded obediently. He walked to Xiao-Ping, forcing his powers to bubble to the surface. A blast of arctic cold surged through his blood and into his hands. Frosty white fog began to waft from his skin like dry ice as he poised to freeze the whimpering man.

"Please, Kuai Liang, you know I have a family! If you kill me, they'll starve!"

All this was true. In addition to his wife, Xiao-Ping had eight children and fifteen grandchildren who all relied on his shop for what little they had. Even with his store, they were an exceptionally poor family. They _would_ starve.

But that's not what stayed his hand. He looked into the teary eyes of his would-be victim and felt guilt course through him. _This is wrong_, he said to himself. He knew he was meant to be an assassin, but was it fair to execute old men like this? Was it honorable?

Kuai Liang lowered his hands, letting the ice retract into his blood. "I cannot kill this man," he confessed as he looked to the floor in shame. "This isn't justice. This is murder. And I won't do it." Xiao-Ping breathed a tearful sigh of relief.

Oniro said nothing as he walked to them, his long red robes scratching the tile floor loudly. "You are a disappointment," he growled. "And you will be punished."

Then he faced Xiao-Ping. Having mastered the magical art of shapeshifting, he transformed his hand into a panther's claw, and with talons protracted, he gripped the peasant's throat. Quickly, he sank his claws into the man's neck and ripped it out. Blood sprayed up and out like a hose under pressure, lightly spattering Tundra, Oniro, and the guards. Kuai Liang watched in horror as the light left the kind old man's eyes, hating himself for being too cowardly to defend him. But he couldn't defy the Grandmaster any more than he could've defied his father. When he was satisfied Xiao-Ping was dead, Oniro released his grip and threw him like a rag doll to the floor in disgust before he changed his hand back to its human form once more.

"Clean this mess up," he ordered the guards in a cool, dispassionate voice. They promptly went to work gathering up the still-bleeding corpse, and Oniro focused on Kuai Liang, who was rapidly blinking back sudden tears of mourning. Xiao-Ping had been the closest thing he'd had to a grandfather, had always given him much-needed pats on the back and words of encouragement when he thought he couldn't find the strength to push on, and when the man needed _him_ in return, he'd failed him. Maybe Oniro was right; no great warrior ever showed such cowardice.

The Grandmaster recognized his pain and sneered. "You are disgraceful. And embarrassment to us all. But it is no matter. The Cyber Initiative will purge all emotion from you once and for all. You will be the first of our young warriors to be changed."

"But-"

"Go to your quarters and stay there until tonight's meeting. I cannot bear the sight of you right now."

Tundra bowed, embarrassed and angry with himself for failing the test, not just executing Xiao-Ping, but for so obviously feeling grief. What good did any of it accomplish? "Yes, Grandmaster," he replied, immediately burying the emotion deep in his belly where it could cause no more trouble, smoothing all trace of expression from his face until it resembled a plain mask. Then he straightened and left the room, returning to his quarters as Oniro had commanded.


	3. The Cyber Initiative

At the appointed time, the Order crowded into the Great Hall, anxious to hear what announcement Oniro had to make. Tundra, still ashamed of himself from earlier that day, skulked in the shadows behind the others to avoid being seen by the Grandmaster.

"Tundra!" Smoke whispered loudly. Kuai Liang glanced to his left and saw his friend squeezing through the crowd to get to him. In spite of their argument earlier, he was relieved to see his friend. At the moment, he felt like a black sheep, but he knew Tomas would not treat him as an object of derision for his failure.

"Tundra," he said again when he reached him, "I thought I recognized the smell of envy."

"Envy?"

"You know, of my extraordinary good looks and superb fighting style."

Kuai Liang inwardly laughed and automatically felt his spirits rise. "I went back to our quarters, but you weren't there."

"I decided to practice throwing smoke bombs. Didn't want anyone to think I was lazy," he chided.

"About that, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that to you."

"I forgave you the moment you said it."

"You did?"

"Well, actually, no. I drew your face on a ball and practiced throwing my bombs at it. After about fifty of those, I forgave you."

"It's good to know you don't hold a grudge," he replied sarcastically.

Smoke smirked. "Isn't it, though?"

A gong sounded then, and on cue Oniro hobbled out, followed by Huang and his other advisors, also dressed in long red robes. All the warriors in the Hall stood to attention, rigidly fixing their eyes on their Grandmaster as he took his place at the front before them.

He began speaking in his usual Cantonese: "It is my belief that the Lin Kuei is the finest group of warriors in all of Earthrealm. You are the deadliest men in the world. And yet, your lethal talents can be improved even more. That is why, for the last two years, the Lin Kuei have been working closely with the Black Dragon Organization to perfect the process of human automation. There have been many failures in implementing total cybernetic enhancements, but at last we have had consistent success."

Oniro paused. "Tundra, step forward."

Kuai Liang exchanged a concerned look with Tomas, but obeyed. He silently wove his way through his fellow Clansmen, and took his spot before the Grandmaster once again. Oniro did not look at him.

"There are many who have voiced their concerns about the Cyber Initiative. Tundra's father, An Zhi, was one of them. They say that cybernetic enhancements cannot replace our instincts, our feelings. But it is those instincts and feelings that make you weak.

"Today, I issued a simple challenge to our young Tundra: kill a worthless peasant who failed to repay a loan he owed. You are assassins. This is your job! But Tundra could not do as he was told. His feelings for the old man hindered his ability to carry out his task."

Though no one breathed a word, Kuai Liang felt their disapproving stares bore into the back of his head. They were all thinking what he was: he was a killer. How, then, could a killer not kill? Worse, how could he disobey a direct order given by the Grandmaster himself?

"I wonder what your father would say if he were here now, Tundra," Oniro sneered. "It would be difficult for him to argue with me when I could point to his pathetic excuse for a son and say, 'Here surely is the deadliest warrior the Lin Kuei has to offer. His feelings keep him from doing his duty to the Order.'

"This emotion is a weakness that will not be tolerated. Cybernetic enhancements are the future of the Lin Kuei. They will eradicate all traces of feeling that corrupt you. Behold the might of Hydro!" Oniro lifted his arm to signal an old Lin Kuei warrior, Hydro, to step into view from the corridor.

Kuai Liang's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the old man emerge. Once hobbled over with age, he now stood straight and tall. He no longer seemed human, though, but like a robot with thick, navy blue plate armor encasing thin black tubes and wires where his guts should have been. On his head he wore a peculiar helmet with a black visor, and black wires streaming out of the back like a ponytail. If Oniro hadn't identified him, Kuai Liang wouldn't have even recognized the man he thought of as a second father, his sifu.

At the main entrance of the Hall, the guard Shen carried in a girl who was approximately ten years old. Screaming and crying hysterically, she was giving the Lin Kuei guard all she had, kicking, biting, and punching him in a frantic attempt to escape. He held firm, however, and did not release her.

"This is an orphan girl the guards caught snooping around the Temple," Oniro explained. "Surely, she is a spy. This cannot be tolerated. Shen, put her down. Hydro, kill her."

Shen violently threw her to the ground at Hydro's feet and stepped aside quickly as water flowed from Hydro's palms and enveloped his arms. As the girl staggered to her feet and started to run, the cyber-ninja aimed his arms at her. A cyclonic column of water caught her and swirled around her like a maelstrom, gradually tightening around her until at last it froze solid. She didn't even have a chance to scream.

"As you can see, young warriors, we have given Hydro new purpose," Oniro declared. "He was a brilliant strategist, but because he could not fight, he was otherwise useless. Now, we have given him the means to fight once more."

"Sifu?" Kuai Liang asked tentatively, feeling sick, but the cyborg did not answer. Hydro never would have killed a child, under any circumstances. The older warrior did not even look at his young pupil.

"Impetuous Tundra, you see? No shred of emotion exists inside your former sifu."

"Then he is dead!"

"He has been perfected."

"How can you call this perfection? You've turned him into a monster!"

"Enough!" Oniro snapped. "This is why I have decided you will be the first. I am weary of your outbursts. I am weary of your imperfection. You could be so much more."

Kuai Liang felt fiery anger creep into his throat, and he started to argue even more, but he thought of his father and bit his tongue to stay silent. He scowled and stared at the floor in deference instead.

"You're learning. Good," Oniro sneered. "But it's not enough. Tomorrow, you will go with Huang to the Black Dragon's headquarters. There, you will undergo the process."

The young warrior swallowed hard. "Yes, Grandmaster."

"The rest of you will be automated within the week. For the good of the Order."

"For the good of the Order!" the rest shouted in unison. Though Kuai Liang grew up with most of them, at that moment, he wished them all dead. How could they go along so willingly with this plan? He had mixed feelings about his father, but on this issue, he was certain An Zhi was right. The Cyber Initiative was wrong. And now, he was beginning to believe the Lin Kuei was wrong too.

"You're dismissed," Oniro barked and they all began to file out of the Great Hall quietly. Tundra started to follow them, but the Grandmaster stopped him. "Not you, Tundra," he said. The Cryomancer stopped and faced his Elder. "You are not to leave the temple until Huang escorts you to the Black Dragon. I do not-"

"Grandmaster!" a new voice cried. Tundra turned when he recognized Cyrax's Tswanan accent. It always sounded awkward paired up with Cantonese. The Botswanan warrior dressed in yellow was accompanied by Sektor, Oniro's son, dressed in red. Both had left on their own missions a few weeks after Bi-han.

"What are you two doing here?" Oniro demanded to know, clearly annoyed that they had interrupted him, but overlooking their breech of custom in addressing him first. "Were you eliminated from the tournament?"

Sektor bowed. "Yes, Grandmaster. The Shaolin Monk, Liu Kang, eliminated us both but granted us mercy."

"Then I take it you failed to kill Shang Tsung?"

"He was heavily guarded by the deadliest warriors from Outworld."

"I do not want to hear your pathetic excuses! Cybernetic enhancements will eliminate this problem. You two will accompany Tundra tomorrow to be transformed."

"I submit myself to your will and wisdom, Grandmaster," Sektor bowed. Cyrax, however, did not seem as agreeable with that order as his partner. He scowled but said nothing. Tundra understood; he too could barely contain his disdain for the Cyber Initiative, or for Sektor's mindless loyalty.

"Where is Sub-Zero in all of this?" Oniro asked.

Cyrax and Sektor exchanged a glance. "He is dead, Grandmaster," Cyrax reported.

Tundra felt his heart drop into his stomach. "What do you mean? How? When?"

"Leave, now," Oniro snapped. "This does not concern you!"

"He's my brother!" Kuai Liang cried. "Everything he does concerns me!"

"Get him out of here," the Grandmaster ordered Shen and the other guards.

"Cyrax, how did he die?" he frantically asked as the guards rushed to him and grabbed him.

"Come on, Tundra," Shen said gently. "Before you get yourself in real trouble."

"Sektor! Who killed him?" he called, but neither Cyrax nor Sektor answered him. The guards easily dragged him out of the Great Hall and took him to his quarters where Smoke was already waiting.


	4. Brothers

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay put," Shen stated.

"It's my brother!"

"What is going on?" Tomas cried.

"If I was you, I wouldn't worry about Sub-Zero right now. I'd worry about my own hide. The Grandmaster is this close to killing you. I can see it in his eyes."

Tundra rushed at the guards with fists surging with icy power, but Tomas grabbed one of his wrists and stayed his hand. "My friend, calm yourself. There is a time and place to fight, but this is not it," he said coolly. Kuai Liang looked at him, and saw something of a plan in his slate gray eyes. He had known him long enough to know that his expression meant he was cooking something up. He sighed unhappily but nodded, and he lowered his hands.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Tomas told the guards. They looked at Smoke skeptically, then to Tundra, and finally back to Smoke.

"You better," Shen warned. "If you don't, he's going to spend the night in chains." Kuai Liang inwardly scoffed. As if chains would hold him.

Smoke seemed amused by the statement as well, but he said nothing as he bowed his head to the men in agreement. They backed away slowly, closing the heavy wooden door as they left. When it had latched into place, Tomas promptly smacked Kuai Liang in the back of the head.

"What is the matter with you? Does the phrase 'pick your battles' mean _anything_ to you?"

Kuai Liang was too upset to notice Tomas' annoyance with him. "Bi-han's dead," he announced.

"What? How?"

"I don't know. Sektor and Cyrax returned and said he was dead. But Oniro had me dragged out before I could find out how."

"Well, I say we go find out how."

"What are you talking about?"

Smoke sighed. "I'm beginning to understand why Sub-Zero always kicked your butt." He paused. "They mean to turn you into a machine, my friend. And the rest of us aren't far behind."

"But Oniro explicitly told me I can't leave the temple."

"Yeah, but you're going to. I'm not going to let them turn me into a robot, and I'm not letting them turn you either."

"We have no choice!"

"Sure we do, we just sneak right the hell out."

"We have to obey the Grandmaster. I am loyal to the Lin Kuei."

"Which is admirable under every other circumstance imaginable. But this…this asks too much of us. Come on." He started packing up his things.

"I can't leave, Smoke. I have to obey."

Tomas threw his stuff onto the floor. "That's your father talking."

"Perhaps."

Tomas gripped his shoulders tightly. "Tundra…Kuai Liang, listen to me," he said sternly. "I don't pretend to have all the answers-"

"Yes, you do," the other argued.

"As a joke, yes. But in seriousness, I don't have all the answers. However, I do know this: humans were not meant to be mindless, soulless, heartless machines. We weren't! And even though we are assassins, we are not meant to kill orphans plucked off the street. We are not meant to kill elderly people who have done nothing wrong to anyone. Where's the honor in that? Furthermore, something terrible happened to your brother, and you need answers. You're not going to get those answers waiting around here. What if his death demands vengeance? Who will avenge him if not you? Rest assured, you won't be honoring his memory if you just let them turn you into a robot. What would he say if he could see you now?"

"Leave me alone," the younger barked, ignoring his friend's question completely. "I need to think."

"Fine," Tomas replied. "But don't take too long. I'm going to gather up supplies. Can I trust you to stay here and not go charging headlong into trouble?"

Kuai Liang nodded. "I will stay here."

"You better," he warned. "If I have to come rescue you, I'm going to kill you."

"Duly noted," he said. After one last wary glance, Tomas disappeared through the door and shut it on his way out.

Kuai Liang immediately pulled out his meditation mat, flopped down on it, and thought of Bi-han. Smoke was right, of course. His older brother was the black sheep of the family because he was so rebellious, and even though he reluctantly did what he was commanded, he would have drawn the line at letting himself be turned into a robot, to say nothing of purposelessly killing villagers and children. He was the exact opposite of their father.

An Zhi, a violent, distant man who also wielded the power of ice and snow, was a Lin Kuei operative in the United States tasked with assassinating politicians, activists, or anyone else whom the Order was hired to kill. To him, everyone was fair game, and he didn't kill for his livelihood, but for the joy it afforded him. To secure his cover as a minor diplomat, he took an American wife, a woman named Maggie, who bore him two sons and a daughter. Bi-han told them they had been born with American names, James and Conner respectively, but when their father kidnapped his sons and brought them to the temple with him, he gave them Chinese names to honor his heritage.

An Zhi was a cold man, as cold as the ice he wielded. He died two years earlier when the Lin Kuei revealed its plan to implement the Cyber Initiative, and he publicly defied the Grandmaster Oniro. "Technology and machinery are not good substitutes for raw instinct," he had argued. "You are fools if you think so." Oniro, even colder than the boys' father, transformed his hand into a panther claw and ripped out his throat so quickly that he never registered what had happened. It was exactly like what Oniro had done to Xiao-Ping. No one questions the Grandmaster. No one.

Bi-han was glad when their father died. He never forgave him for ripping the brothers away from their normal life in America, or stealing them from their mother and sister. Kuai Liang, a toddler when he was first brought to the Lin Kuei, could remember nothing of his life before, but Bi-han, seven years his senior, could not forget. He called their father a kidnapper who cruelly yanked them out of their sobbing mother's arms, and left her to raise their infant sister, Sarah, alone. A coward, he said, who took the boys in the middle of the night like a common thief with no honor. Their life in China with their father, he said, was _not_ normal.

Normalcy was important to Bi-han; he wanted a normal life more than anything. He often told Kuai Liang that school in America was normal. Children did not learn to kill, nor did they learn to wield ice. They simply learned to read and to spell and to count. They played games with other children, and did not train to fight for over twelve hours a day. They drew pictures and watched T.V. Sometimes they celebrated birthdays and holidays. In the Lin Kuei, things of this sort were a waste of time and an unnecessary distraction. But Bi-han said that while friendship was forbidden to them, it was willfully encouraged in the normal world.

And children certainly did not have their names replaced with traditional Chinese ones like they did. Bi-han told his younger brother how their American mother did not want them to be ostracized for having foreign names, so she put her foot down and defied their father. Evidently, it was one of the only times she did. Her son never accepted his new identity. One time, he told Tundra the only reason he even answered to Bi-han was because he knew the punishment for defying the Grandmaster's will was death. "But," he said, "I will never be this person they want me to be. They can change my name, they can command my life, but they can't take my will." Kuai Liang knew his brother wished he'd reject his false name as well, but it was the only name he ever knew.

Most of the things Bi-han described were as foreign to Kuai Liang as they were frowned upon by the Order. Perpetually stuck in the past, he never ceased to resist his life with the Lin Kuei, much to the anger of their father. This prompted An Zhi to tell them a story one day:

_Over 500 years ago, our ancestor, a man who called himself Sub-Zero, was a great warrior for the Lin Kuei. But one day, he was ordered to assassinate the Great Kung Lao, the winner of the Mortal Kombat Tournament. Sub-Zero, for reasons that have long been lost to us, betrayed the Lin Kuei by aiding Kung Lao, and he killed a Grandmaster in the process. A renegade, he fled, and he began a new life as a castle guard. He took a wife and had a family, two sons and two daughters. But the Lin Kuei, who vowed revenge on him, eventually hunted him down and killed him, but not before they killed his wife and daughters, and took his two sons as payment for what was owed. So you see, Bi-han and Kuai Liang, there is no place in the Lin Kuei for rebellion, especially by _our_ family._

In spite of their father's warning, on the day Bi-han attained his manhood and was allowed to choose his code-name, he chose to be called "Sub-Zero" to honor the memory of their ancestor who defied the Lin Kuei's authority. That Bi-han was defiant was nothing new, but his new code-name marked him as a dangerous rebel, and it cast aspersions on his trustworthiness.

Their father trusted him the least. For this reason, he treated Kuai Liang, his obedient son, better, and Bi-han grew to hate his younger brother almost as much as he hated their father. When the boys would spar, he, the better warrior, used more force than was necessary. Growing up, it seemed like Kuai Liang was constantly nursing broken bones, sprains, concussions, stab wounds, and frostbite. But even though Tundra suspected his brother secretly wished to kill him, he never complained about his brutality. "Pain is the mark of a weak mind," Bi-han would say, and Kuai Liang believed him. He fought harder, and viewed his lessons as opportunities for improvement. _Next time, _he would often say to himself,_ I will dodge this way or counter that way_. Every battle against Bi-han was a rigorous learning experience. Yet, he did not hate his brother like his brother hated him. Kuai Liang shadowed him everywhere, desperate to know what he knew, to be the warrior he was, and to have the courage he did. Bi-han tolerated his eagerness to learn, but barely so.

Kuai Liang wondered what his brother's final seconds had been like, and remembered the fearful apology that had jarred him out of his meditation earlier that day. He could've sworn he heard his brother speak to him, but that was silly. For one, Bi-han had never apologized to him once in his whole life. Why would he start now? And two, people did not suddenly develop psychic abilities the moment before they die.

_Get over here!_ Kuai Liang remembered the ungodly voice, and he replayed it over and over in his head. What did that mean anyway? He dwelled on it so long that he imagined he saw the creature who yelled it; a man who was not a man, dressed in yellow and black, who exercised great control over some unearthly power.

_I'm sorry, Brother_.

His thoughts shifted suddenly, but he did not resist them and followed them where they would go. They raced back in time, and he watched himself grow younger as he briefly relived moments with Bi-han; he saw his older brother, not his father, teach him how to use his powers. He saw the look of pride on his brother's face when he was ten and finally figured out how to make ice daggers. Kuai Liang remembered how Bi-han had worked tirelessly to teach him that particular skill, and while An Zhi coldly said, "Why did it take you so long to learn?" Bi-han clapped him on the back and said, "Good work, little Brother." Kuai Liang had long since forgotten that day, but it warmed his heart remembering that his older brother was pleased with him.

_Bi-han, what happened to you?_ he wondered, icy tears coating his eyes but not leaking out.

And then his brain raced back further, beyond his conscious memories to his infancy. A woman cradled his tiny body in her arms as she sat in a rocking chair, and absentmindedly adjusted the thick blue blanket lined with silk that swaddled him. He somehow remembered that it was his favorite blanket, his favorite simply because the silk slid pleasantly along his skin. The woman, his mother, smiled down on him. She was exceptionally pretty, with long, chestnut hair pulled back in a clip and then cascading down her shoulders in waves. Her eyes were sapphire blue, like his and Bi-han's, and framed by long, black eyelashes. But what Kuai Liang noticed most was how kind her face was; he vaguely imagined she did not carry a violent bone in her body.

An older boy darted into the nursery, followed by An Zhi, and though the child was almost unrecognizable to him, Kuai Liang knew his brother. Bi-han had wild hair that almost touched his shoulders, and something red, perhaps juice, had stained his face so that he looked like a clown. Crumbs were glued to his red t-shirt with peanut butter and jelly, but Kuai Liang could still make out the word "Spiderman" printed on it above a picture of a superhero. It was odd to see Bi-han so unkempt, but it made him smile.

His mother also smiled. "Jamie, come meet your brother, Conner." He obeyed and looked down upon Kuai Liang uncertainly. The younger couldn't help but smile again. "Look!" Maggie exclaimed. "Your baby brother recognizes you."

Bi-han was hardly impressed. "His face is squished." Kuai Liang inwardly frowned.

"He's a newborn," she explained. "His face will smooth out in the next couple of weeks."

"How does he know me anyway, Momma?"

"He doesn't," An Zhi said. "He's just got gas."

"That's not true!" their mother snapped as she shot her husband a deadly look. She scowled at him and then returned her attention to her sons. "Jamie, he knows you because he heard you talk to him when he was in my tummy. He knows your voice."

"So, all the times I read stories to him made him know me?"

Kuai Liang was surprised. His brother read to him and talked to him when their mother was pregnant with him? He felt surprisingly touched.

"Yes, honey, it did," Maggie said as she gently tousled his hair and kissed his forehead. "You're a big brother, now. You've got to look out for him. It's your job to teach him all sorts of cool things and to keep him out of trouble. You've got to set a good example for him. Because you know what, Jamie? You are going to be the center of his universe."

"I'll try, Momma," Bi-han said.

"I know you will," she said and she kissed him again. Then she kissed the baby. Bi-han smiled at her, then he leaned over and kissed Kuai Liang on the forehead too.

Tundra's thoughts jumped ahead, and he was now a toddler huddled on a small bed with Bi-han, who held a baby wrapped in pink blankets in his arms. He heard muffled voices yelling at each other. He felt like crying, and the baby _was_ crying, even though his brother desperately tried to calm her. "Shh, Sarah, we have to stay quiet," his brother said to their sister. He patted her and rocked her, but she refused to calm down. In the distance, the arguing got louder.

"Jamie," Kuai Liang heard himself say, "I scared."

"Shut up," Bi-han snapped anxiously. When the toddler started to cry, he frowned and patted his brother's hair. "I'm sorry, little Brother," he apologized. "I'm scared too."

Suddenly, the bedroom door slammed open and An Zhi crashed through. All three children shrieked, but he paid them no mind. Maggie stumbled into the room a second after him with face red and tear-stained, and she leapt onto his back screaming as he grabbed for Sarah.

"You will not take my sons!" she wailed as she tried to choke him. "Jamie! Take Conner! Run!"

Bi-han immediately sprang into action, grabbing his brother by the hand and darting underneath their battling parents with Sarah nestled in his arms like a football. An Zhi, however, easily pulled his wife off him and threw her into the closet door. It exploded, and pieces of wood fell on her as she slumped to the floor, unconscious. Satisfied, he chased after his children.

Bi-han, always a fast runner, had dragged Kuai Liang outside by this time, and they bolted barefoot across the front yard. Cold grass tickled Kuai Liang's feet, but he hardly noticed because he was crying so hard. Their father pursued them, and using his Cryomancy, he made an ice puddle form across their path. Caught off guard, the brothers ran onto it and slipped, with Bi-han accidentally letting go of Kuai Liang's hand in order to keep from dropping baby Sarah. He landed on his arm, and a loud crack filled the air. He cried out in pain when his tibia snapped, but did not let go of his sister.

An Zhi caught up to them, and without a word, hoisted Bi-han into the air, squeezed the boy's shoulder, and watched as he slumped over, unconscious. Then he focused on his younger son. Kuai Liang looked up at him in terror, his butt still sore from falling down, but otherwise unscathed. He gathered his knees to his chest and flinched.

"Daddy," he whimpered with eyes squeezed shut.

An Zhi yanked him up as well, and as he did with Bi-han, gripped one shoulder with his large hand. An icy cold pain filled his shoulder and then travelled up his neck, slowing his blood to a near standstill. Kuai Liang felt dizzy for a brief moment before he too fainted. When he woke up again, he and Bi-han were on a cargo plane, tied together tightly with rope. There was no sign of their mother or their sister.

"Where are you taking us?" Bi-han was yelling. A heavy white cast encased his broken arm.

"To Xizang," An Zhi replied, sitting in the shadows cast by the netting. "To the Lin Kuei temple in the Himalayas. You will train to be the best killers in the history of the Clan."

"I hate you!" Bi-han shrieked angrily.

"Be quiet!" their father hissed.

"Momma?" Kuai Liang asked uncertainly, his eyes filling with tears.

"Forget your mother," his father barked. "You will never see her again."

The toddler began to cry, but over his shoulder, he heard his brother say, "Conner, Conner, shh. It's okay. I'm here. I'll keep you safe."

His brother's words jarred him to the core, and Kuai Liang snapped out of his deep meditation. Finally, he understood his brother's contempt for their father and for the Lin Kuei. He understood his disdain for his younger brother. He had done nothing but risk his own neck to protect and teach Kuai Liang since the moment he was born, and how had Kuai Liang repaid him for his trouble? By showing unfounded loyalty to their father, which, he realized just then, must have stemmed from that abusive moment when their father captured them. Bi-han was right; their father was a coward.

"I'm sorry, Bi-han," he said aloud to the empty room. Then he thought about it, and quickly amended his statement. "I'm sorry, Jamie. You were right about everything."

He got to his feet, rolled up his mat, and started gathering not only his things, but his brother's as well. They would not spend another moment here while Oniro was running the show. Kuai Liang picked up one of Bi-han's books, Plato's _Republic_, and a single picture fluttered to the floor. He picked it up and saw him and his brother, ages ten and seventeen respectively, standing and smiling together inside Xiao-Ping's little store; he flipped it over and saw English words written in Bi-han's hasty handwriting that read "Conner's tenth birthday." He chuckled to himself. He didn't even remember taking a picture. The Lin Kuei hated cameras. He wondered who had snapped the photo, Xiao-Ping or Tomas? And where in this part of the world did Bi-han have it developed? Not that it mattered. What mattered was that his brother clearly cared more about him than he let on. He smiled to himself and then slid the small picture inside his dark blue tunic. He suddenly knew what he had to do.

"Going somewhere?" a voice asked behind him.

He whirled around and saw Sektor and Shen standing in his doorway. He had been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard them open the door.

"I'm just packing for tomorrow."

"You won't need anything where you're going," Shen said flatly.

"Oh. Well, then I guess I'll put this stuff away."

"You know what I think?" Sektor began. "I think you're planning on leaving. I think you're planning on disobeying the Grandmaster. And I also think, no, I _know_, that I'm going to stop you." He and Shen both poised to attack.

A shimmering distortion appeared behind the two men then and clubbed them both. They fell to the ground, unconscious, and the invisible figure grabbed them by the feet and hauled them into the room. A second later, the distorted facade dissolved, revealing Tomas.

"You know what I think, Sektor?" he asked. "I think you're a brown-nosing tool."


	5. The Great Escape

"Perfect timing," Kuai Liang said.

"Easy to do when you're perfect like me," Tomas replied breathlessly. "So, I see you've got your stuff together," he said as he looked at the black bag full of his belongings. "Does this mean you've finally grown a pair and are going to leave willingly? Because I was looking forward to dragging you out by force."

"I've made a decision," he said. "I want to live."

"For heaven's sake, think it over," Tomas said after an uncomfortable silence.

Kuai Liang rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Will you be serious? My brother and I never got to live how we wanted to. We spent our whole lives taking orders and having our fate decided for us. Not anymore. I'm going to find out what happened to him. My brother chose the name Sub-Zero to remember our ancestor who made the decision to think for himself. Now that he's gone, I'm taking that name too. To remember my brother. To honor him."

Smoke looked at him for a long moment. "That's friggin' beautiful, Kuai Liang. Now can we get the hell out of here before we both start growing lady parts?"

"_Voleh_," the other muttered in Tomas' native Czech.

His friend burst out laughing. "Oh my God, I think I'm in love."

"Do you ever take anything seriously?" Kuai Liang snapped as he aimed a jet of ice at Sektor and Shen, freezing them solidly to the floor.

"Do you ever laugh at anything?" Tomas shot back as he hoisted the bags onto his shoulders.

"You're such a child," he chided. "Grow up."

"Okay, An Zhi," he replied.

Kuai Liang scowled. "If you want to even have a shot at pulling this off, you'll knock it off now. The instant they hear you cackling like a hyena, all bets are off."

"Okay, okay," he said. "I left all the supplies I gathered in the kitchens. I did some canvassing and saw that it was lightly guarded. It's our best way out."

"You sure?"

"What do you mean, 'am I sure'? No, Kuai Liang, I'm determined to get us caught. That way, they don't wait until tomorrow to make us Tin Men."

"You're getting testy in your old age."

"Yeah, I know. It's because I hang around you so damn much. I really need to get a better class of friends."

Kuai Liang snorted. "Let's go. Before these two clowns wake up."

"That's the smartest thing you've said all day."

Tomas became invisible as he slipped behind his friend, and the two snuck single file to the kitchens in the cellar below. As Tomas predicted, they were met with no resistance. Totally antiquated, the kitchen was two hundred years in the past, with a dirt floor, wooden cooking implements, and a massive stone hearth. A fire burned in the hearth around the clock, so the air boiled around the two warriors. At the end of the kitchen, a short passage led to a door to the outside world. Unfortunately, Oniro was blocking it.

"I had a feeling you would dishonor yourself like this, Tundra," he spoke in a dangerously low tone.

"My name is Sub-Zero," he corrected the man as he took a defensive stance.

"A fitting name for a traitor," the Grandmaster hissed. Then he shifted his attention to Tomas, who had also taken a defensive stance. "But you, Smoke. I would never have guessed _you_ were a traitor."

"I guess I'm just full of surprises," Tomas replied.

"Seize them," Oniro commanded, and five guards dressed in drab gray tunics emerged from the shadows. Three rushed Sub-Zero, but he darted to the side on a thin layer of ice, easily avoiding their attack. Surprised, they wheeled around in time for him to spray hundreds of tiny ice daggers at them from his palms. One guard ducked, but the shards caught his companions in the face. They screamed and fell backwards, blood spurting from their faces. The third guard jumped at Sub-Zero. He threw frenzied punches at his target, but the other coolly deflected them. Kuai Liang quickly tired of this, however, and shoved the guard against the brick hearth. He gripped the man's throat and summoned the ice in his blood to rise to the surface. Cold, white air wafted off his skin as ice oozed from his pores and crept over the man's body. His victim whimpered and struggled as the ice dyed his skin blue and stretched over him until his entire body was entombed.

Meanwhile, the other two guards charged after Smoke. He leapt onto the thick, wooden work surface where the cooks kneaded bread dough and slid across. One of his attackers aimed a crossbow at him, but he vanished in a shimmer before he could get off his shot, teleported behind him, and snapped his neck. Before his friend had even hit the ground, the other guard launched himself at the shimmering distortion in the air. He threw a punch at Smoke's head, but the latter easily caught his fist and brought his elbow down onto his forearm. Another loud crunch filled the air and the guard screamed. Smoke reappeared, still holding his wrist. With a disgusted sneer, he threw the man to the floor.

To his left, Smoke caught sight of movement. He turned in time to dodge a large panther paw swiping at his head, but promptly lost his balance and fell to the floor. Oniro, eyes blacker than ever, circled around him like a predator on the hunt. He snarled, and Smoke thought he heard the angry roar of a black jungle cat. The Grandmaster raised his magically altered hand to attack. Smoke winced, expecting a swift but brutal end. But nothing happened. He opened his eyes in time to see a large sword made of ice sticking through Oniro's ribs. Behind him, Sub-Zero stood holding the sword, panting and scowling at his former master.

"How?" Oniro struggled. Sub-Zero didn't bother to answer, and instead kicked the man off his blade. Then he threw the ice into the fire.

"Perfect timing," Smoke breathed shakily.

"Easy to do when you're perfect like me," he replied as he helped his friend to his feet.

"Touché," the other smiled. "Let's get out of here."

Sub-Zero nodded and grabbed his bags. Wasting no time, they darted through the passage and burst through the door. A wall of icy Himalayan air met the two warriors, but they did not stop to think about it. However, the thick blanket of snow on the ground slowed them to a halt. Smoke immediately tripped and fell face-first in it.

"_Hovno_!" he cursed. Sub-Zero strained to lift him up. "We're never going to escape on foot," Smoke announced.

His friend was right. Kuai Liang surveyed the terrain. The Lin Kuei temple was built into a vertical limestone rock face and plateau, but the plateau tapered off into a steep hillside covered in snow. At this altitude, no trees grew. He got an idea.

"No, we can't escape on foot," he declared. "But we can escape on our bellies." He used his powers to transform the top layer of snow before them into a sturdy sheet of oval-shaped ice.

Tomas immediately read his thoughts. "Are you out of your mind? Riding a sheet of ice down the Himalayas? We'll be killed!"

"We're going to be killed if we stick around. At least this way, we die on our own terms." An alarm sounded then. He frantically looked up at the temple, which was coming alive with torches and warriors, and then he looked down at his best friend. "But we don't really have time to discuss this, so move it before I throw you off the mountain!"

Tomas' eyes widened in amused surprise and he chuckled. "Oh, you know how I love it when you take charge, you big strong man, you!"

Kuai Liang clinched his jaw and scowled. "If we live through this, I'm going to kill you," he announced.

His friend laughed again as he climbed aboard the ice sled. "You know you'd miss me," he said.

"No, I wouldn't," he replied as he leapt onto the sheet and pushed off. Instantly, the sled took off down the hill and the g-forces from their fast descent threatened to buck them off it. Both men started to yell in a combination of fear and pain as the icy cloud around them tore at their exposed eyeballs and the hard layer of snow beneath them sloughed off the skin on their knuckles. Rock formations and glacier canyons raced by them in a blur. Soon, trees and bushes began closing in on them. A mile below the Lin Kuei temple, they hit a hill of ice and snow jutting out of the ground like a ramp. It launched them nearly thirty feet into the air. Their ice sled exploded and they fell to the ground like rag dolls. When he hit the ground, Sub-Zero's left ring finger was hyper-extended by a small rock peeking through the white crust, and he yelped as a jagged bolt of lightning surged through his hand. He slid to a stop a few seconds later.


	6. Memory Lane

About ten feet away, he heard Tomas groan. "This was a wonderful plan," he said sarcastically.

"You're alive, aren't you? And it bought us some time," Kuai Liang replied.

"Yeah, but I think it shaved ten years off my life." He started to laugh hysterically, so Sub-Zero craned his neck to look at his friend in puzzlement.

"What's so funny?"

"I haven't had that much fun since the time we tied up Sektor and Cyrax to trees in the forest and then poured honey on their heads."

"I was twelve, and as I recall, our punishment wasn't that funny," he said. "My father beat me within an inch of my life. And then we had to do calisthenics in front of Oniro for the rest of the day." He sat up.

Smoke grinned. "Yeah, but it was worth it. And if those goons weren't after us, I'd be up for taking another run down the mountain. That," he paused as he looked at Sub-Zero, "was fun."

Kuai Liang faintly smiled back and shrugged. His friend had a point. It was a little fun. He'd almost forgotten what that felt like. He looked down at his hands, which were both screaming in pain. They were a tattered mess, oozing blood around bits of foreign debris such as pebbles and ice chunks. Bruises from the fight in the temple and from their mad escape attempt were already forming on his fingers. His injured ring finger, he immediately saw, twisted unevenly from the knuckle to the tip, clearly broken. Without a word, he gripped it, ignoring its throbbing protests, and popped the bone back into place. He groaned, but bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut to stifle the pain. _Pain is the mark of a weak mind_, he told himself.

Smoke watched him intently. "That looked like it hurt."

"It's nothing," Sub-Zero muttered as he tried to will the pain away.

"We should bind that. Immobilize it." He got to his feet, wiped the snow from his clothes, and rummaged through a tiny compartment built into his belt. He fished out a small roll of gauze.

"I'm fine," the younger man grumbled.

"Yeah, but you're just asking to break that again leaving it loose."

"Smoke-"

"Wrap your damn finger before I kick you in the ass." There was a hard edge in his pseudo-brother's gray eyes that he seldom ever saw. He knew Smoke was serious. With a disgruntled sigh, he held up his good hand, silently beckoning him to throw the bandages to him. Smoke obliged, and one-handed, Sub-Zero started winding the white cloth around his ring and middle finger.

"So what now?" he asked as he worked. "What's your plan?"

"My plan is to put as much distance between us and them as we can."

"That's it? I thought you had a real plan to get us out of here."

"Right now, we need to keep moving. It won't take them long to catch up with us. But we need to find a way to get to Shang Tsung's island, or maybe even to Outworld itself. Maybe we can set a trap for Sektor or Cyrax to see how they got there." He started walking downhill through the trees, looking intently at the details of the terrain that the moonlight afforded him.

Sub-Zero, following him, asked, "What is Outworld? I don't remember learning about any place called Shang Tsung's island, let alone Outworld, from any of our geography classes."

"That's because it's not on Earth," Smoke explained. "Earth is but one of many dimensions. Outworld is another dimension. Shang Tsung's island is a kind of middle ground between them."

"And how is it _you_ know so much about it?" Smoke grinned and cast a wayward glance at his friend. Sub-Zero sighed. "Because you're perfect, amazing, awesome, or any synonym thereof."

"Do you know how much time we could save if you could always keep that in your head as a given?"

"I'm wondering."

"Listen. Do you think Sektor and Cyrax were the only two the Grandmaster debriefed? No. Why? Because when you want something done, you go to the best. Which happens to be me."

"Then why didn't you go?"

"I'm not sure, honestly. Something came up and they sent those two boneheads instead. Which was fine by me. My talents are wasted on a tournament." He stopped and faced his friend. "We need to take to the trees. They're going to track our footprints in the snow."

Sub-Zero smiled knowingly. "A false trail."

"Of course it's a false trail," Smoke scoffed. "I can't believe I made you my number two. Asking dumb questions like that. You break my heart, Brother."

"I'm touched, as always," the other rolled his eyes.

"Don't be. You're better than everyone else we know, but I have a proven track record of low standards."

Sub-Zero followed his friend into an evergreen tree, and careful not to break any branches or twigs, both darted through the treetops like squirrels. First they backtracked, then circled around the place where they crashed on their makeshift sled, and finally felt comfortable heading straight for Tingri. They did not leave the trees for hours, not until the sun was gradually rising in the east and illuminating the vast Chinese landscape. By then, there was more rock than snow on the ground, allowing them to escape without making obvious tracks. At this lower altitude, there were several dirt roads leading to town, but the two assassins preferred to take the goat paths; steep and treacherous, they were a more discreet way to go.

As Smoke led him into a short ravine, Sub-Zero got the distinct feeling he'd been there before. He surveyed the rock formations, which protruded and receded around him in an eerily familiar way. Beneath him, the icy cold spring water streamed around his boots like a distant memory.

"Smoke," he whispered. "Have we been here before? It seems familiar."

The other shrugged. "I don't think so. Maybe you came here with your brother or your father."

And like a switch was flipped in his mind, he remembered this place. Yes, he and his brother rested here. He was five and his brother was twelve. Both donned the traditional black garments of a ninja as well as short tabi boots, and their brown hair was shaved almost to the scalp. Kuai Liang greedily gulped down water from Bi-han's canteen, never pausing to take a breath.

"Hurry up," his older brother snapped.

"Where are we going?" he asked again for the hundredth time that day.

"Home."

"But we're going the wrong way." He pointed up the hill towards the Lin Kuei temple.

"That's not home, stupid. Home is in America. With our _mom_."

"What about Daddy?"

"Yes, what _about_ Daddy, Bi-han?" a new voice asked. Both boys whipped their heads around to see An-Zhi stepping gracefully over the rocks like a tiger. Without a word, a large ball of ice raced from his outstretched palms and exploded just beyond his children; a thick wall of ice gradually spread from cliff face to cliff face and sealed off their escape route.

Bi-han jumped to his feet and took a fighting stance. "I'm not going back!" he yelled. "I hate you!"

"I am tired of your insolence," An-Zhi growled. "Every time I turn around, you are plotting against me. You should set a better example for your brother. Treachery will only get him punished."

With that, he reached for his two sons. Bi-han wasted no time lobbing an ice ball at their father, but he easily leapt to the side and the ice careened harmlessly into the rock wall, coating it with a blue-white sheen. Like a flash, he landed beside his older son and punched him in the face hard enough to knock him down. Then, he turned his attention on little Kuai Liang, who although was healthy, was fairly scrawny for his age. An-Zhi grabbed his tiny wrist and hoisted him into the air. He whimpered and wildly kicked his feet.

Bi-han pushed himself onto his knees. "What are you doing?" he asked fearfully, a few stray tears streaming down his already swollen cheekbone.

"Kuai Liang," An-Zhi began, ignoring his older son, "I want you to understand completely that what I'm about to do to you is your punishment for blindly following your brother." The boy looked at him with eyes wide in fear and surprise before he effortlessly swung his younger child by the wrist and snapped him into the rock wall like a wet towel. A loud crack filled the air and bounced off the ravine walls, echoing cruelly around them.

"No!" Bi-han screamed as his brother fell to the ground in a heap, shrieking and crying in pain. He scrambled to Kuai Liang's side, now crying too, but An-Zhi grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against the wall. "He's hurt!" the older boy yelled.

"Undoubtedly," his father replied.

"Why'd you do that?" he bawled.

"Because of you," he answered. "To teach you a lesson. You see, I don't think I was getting to you before. But maybe I am now. Are you listening, Bi-han?" His icy blue eyes narrowed as they looked into his son's.

Struggling to breathe, Bi-han nodded. "Yes. Yes, I'm listening."

"Good. Look at your brother." He released his grip enough to let Bi-han tilt his head to see Kuai Liang sobbing on the mossy ground. His arm hung at a cockeyed angle, broken completely in half, and his shoulder seemed misaligned under his black shirt as well. When he got a sufficient look at his brother, An-Zhi clamped down once again. "I'm done punishing _you_ for your disobedience, Bi-han," he stated. "Now, whenever you step out of line, whenever you give me a disrespectful look, whenever you _breathe_ the wrong way at me, I'm going to punish your brother. Like this. Do you understand me?"

Bi-han squeezed his eyes shut and more tears streamed out. "I understand."

An-Zhi jerked his arm and tightened his grip even more. "You understand what?" he snarled.

"I understand, Father," he responded with downcast eyes.

An-Zhi released him and let him fall to the ground in a heap. "Now get Kuai Liang. Since you led him down the mountain, you can lead him back up it."

"Yes, Father," Bi-han said as he crawled to his brother and helped the five-year-old sit up.

"It hurts!" Kuai Liang wailed, crying so hard he simultaneously sucked down large gulps of air while choking.

"I'm sorry, little Brother," he apologized as he lifted the boy to his feet and hoisted him onto his shoulders. "I'm so sorry."

"Kuai Liang, stop crying," An-Zhi impatiently snapped. "Pain is the mark of a weak mind."

Bi-han started to say something in protest, but he caught his father's ruthless gaze and thought better of it. He swallowed hard and then turned his head to look at his little brother's tiny face. "It'll be okay," he said. "It'll stop hurting soon." He reached around with his arm to feel Kuai Liang's good shoulder and squeezed icy power into it. In seconds, the boy had fainted.

"Let's go," his father ordered.

Sub-Zero blinked as the memory flooded his mind. He had forgotten all about that day, probably having blocked it from his thoughts. His father had completely shattered his collarbone and snapped his radius and his ulna clean in two. The damage was so widespread that the Lin Kuei Healers took him to a hospital in Hong Kong where he had pins surgically implanted in his bones to keep them in place. Those pins were removed a few months later, but he was unable to physically train for about six months. When the other boys practiced calisthenics and martial arts, he was forced to study books. It was during this time he developed a proficiency for languages as well as an unhealthy fear of his father. But it was also during this time that he grew close to Hydro, his sifu, and his best friend, Tomas, who was also healing from a broken femur he got in a sparring match with Sektor.

"Sub-Zero!" a voice barked and broke through his thoughts.

He shook his head and looked at Smoke, who was waiting impatiently twenty feet ahead. "I'm sorry," he apologized as he hurried to catch up.

"No, _I'm _sorry for interrupting your daydream. What were you doing, taking a nap?"

"Just thinking."

"Well, stop it. You need to be focused on the here and now."

"My father was a bastard."

"Thanks for the news flash," Smoke instantly replied. "But if it's okay with you, I'd like to get a move on, Captain Obvious."

"That won't be possible!" a voice yelled from above. Sub-Zero and Smoke looked up to see Sektor, Cyrax, and seven other Lin Kuei assassins crowd either side of the ravine rim. Sektor had small rocket launchers affixed to his fire-retardant gauntlets, and the missiles in them pointed at them.

"How'd you find us?" Smoke called. "I didn't think you were that bright, Sektor."

"You're too predictable," the red-clad assassin retorted. "You have two choices, cowards. You can either restore your honor and return with us willingly to the temple where you will be automated. Or, you can die."

"I propose a third option, Sektor," Smoke replied. "_Vyser si voko_!"

He immediately lobbed a smoke bomb at the Lin Kuei, and blinded three of the warriors, including Cyrax. But Sektor expected such a move and instantly responded by launching a missile at him. Sub-Zero stopped it by showering it in ice before he shoved his friend and forced him to start running. A barrage of crossbows and missiles rained upon them. At the end of the ravine, one of Cyrax's napalm bombs landed before them and exploded in their faces. A deafening white explosion enveloped them as a rockslide buried them in rubble.


	7. Landslide

As the weight of the rocks crushed him, Sub-Zero felt the ground beneath his feet give way, and he began to fall amidst a ton of dirt and boulders. A small stone bounced off his forehead, but he did not register the sudden shocking pain. To his right, he caught a glimpse of Tomas flailing in frantic confusion before becoming invisible as the rockslide carried them downwards for several seconds until at last, they crashed into solid ground. A large stone landed on his ankle, and he felt the bone crunch under its weight as it pinned him face down onto the ground at the fringe of the rubble. He howled but quickly stifled the sound, twisting his body to face his predicament.

A miniature pyramid of rock and debris rested on his foot. With a frustrated grunt, Kuai Liang tried to army-crawl out of the cave-in, but the rock pinning him held him fast. A thin stream of blood now dribbled into his eyes. His fingers brushed what felt like a large gash at his hairline, and he cringed at the inflamed tenderness, but he merely wiped the blood away in annoyance. He couldn't be bothered with that right now. Smoke was nowhere to be seen. Sub-Zero suspected the worst, and if he was right, he needed to hurry in order to save his friend. If he wasn't too late already...

He concentrated his freezing powers into his left palm, the hand that was closest to the pile, and aimed an ice ball at the offending rocks. A blue-white sheen spread over and through them until they froze into solid chunks of ice. With his free leg, he kicked the one that pinned him to the ground. Like fragile glass, it exploded into razor-sharp shards. The Cryomancer shielded his eyes as the slivers of ice rained around him and zipped past his head. A second later, he was free. Unfortunately, his foot was crushed. He couldn't tell if the landslide had broken it or just badly sprained it, but whatever the case, his _tabi_ boot stretched uncomfortably over the joint.

With a pained grunt, Sub-Zero loosened his boot and forced himself to stand. His foot angrily protested, but he ignored it and forced himself to put weight on it to limp around the rubble. He gazed around and saw he stood in some sort of a naturally occurring underground cave. Rocks and boulders from the landslide formed a tall wall that stretched to the twenty foot high ceiling and blocked out nearly all traces of daylight. That would hold Sektor off for a while. But once Sub-Zero and Smoke's body weren't found, the hunt would be on again.

"Smoke?" he whispered loudly, not daring to speak in his normal voice lest he risk another cave-in or worse, alerting the Lin Kuei to his presence. "Tomas!"

His eyes frantically scanned the rubble for some trace of his best friend. He started to pull away smaller rocks from the pile, vaguely worried he was inviting more debris to collapse on them, but working diligently nonetheless. He had to know. He had to know if Tomas was alive. But after ten minutes of searching without success, he began to accept the inevitable. Sub-Zero collapsed into the dirt in disbelief. How could they have come so far only to lose now? He rubbed his still-bleeding forehead with his dirty hand and sighed. _God, please don't let him be gone_.

"Fine time to disappear," Kuai Liang muttered, hoping Smoke would hear him, reappear, and counter with one of his usual smart-mouthed remarks. He wasn't particularly surprised when he didn't get his way. A peculiar pain crept into his throat and strangled his ability to swallow.

Then he glanced at the pile one more time. This time, in the tiny stream of daylight from above, his eyes caught sight of some strange looking rocks peeking from the pile about a foot off the ground. He was certain they weren't there before. Sub-Zero scrambled to them, and saw they were gray and black with dust. He ran his bloody hand over them and realized with surging relief that they weren't rocks at all, but human fingers.

"Tomas! Tomas! Can you hear me?" he whispered as he froze the rocks that entombed the motionless fingers. As he did with the rock that pinned him, he smashed them and freed his friend's hand. He continued this process, first unearthing his arm, then his shoulder, and at last his head. In the dim light, Sub-Zero saw blood smearing Smoke's face. There was no movement, not even shallow breathing. His heart dropped and hot tears sprang to his eyes. He angrily blinked them back and then he clasped his friend's hand in his own while he sank to his knees.

"Tomas?" he said, his voice trembling. When there was no answer, he looked to the ceiling helplessly, and not to the ceiling, really, but somewhere far beyond. "I've already lost one brother today. Please don't take away my other." He closed his eyes and struggled to fight back the painful emotions coursing through him. _Pain is the mark of a weak mind_, he inwardly admonished.

As if someone had heard his unwitting prayer, Smoke now inhaled a deep but ragged breath. "Kuai Liang?" he croaked, then coughed.

The Cryomancer jumped and then looked at him stupidly for the longest moment. Finally, he replied. "I'm here. I'm going to get you out," he said almost breathlessly, containing his smile. He silently gave thanks to whatever higher power was listening to him while he wiped away the tears. Then he resumed his process of freezing and shattering rocks until he had dislodged Smoke and had created a hole wide enough to pull him through. Sub-Zero army-crawled halfway into the hole to reach Tomas, wove his arms under his armpits, and began to yank. As he pulled his friend out, he heard the other grunt and groan in terrible pain. But he did not stop until at last, the pile of rubble spewed them both out like it was giving birth to them.

Smoke's head was cut up and covered in goose-eggs, much like his own, but the blood had clotted and now glued bits of his downy white hair to his face in shades of red, brown, and black. What concerned Kuai Liang, however, was the slightly concave shape his friend's chest had taken under his armor; it was obvious that more than a few ribs were broken, perhaps crushed completely, and were threatening to puncture his internal organs, if they hadn't already. The Cryomancer sighed in frustration for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He didn't think Smoke could walk, and with his wounded ankle, he didn't think he could carry him. But they couldn't stay here. Sektor would find them quickly. And then, with them being in such a weakened state, it would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

As if reading his mind, Tomas faintly said, "Leave me."

"I'm not leaving you," Kuai Liang scoffed. "I'm just trying to think."

"Think about this. It's only a matter of time before Sektor figures out what happened to us. I'll only slow you down. Leave me."

Sub-Zero chuckled. Then, taking a page out of his friend's playbook, said, "You're adorable when you're melodramatic."

Smoke laughed, then coughed and groaned as he clutched his chest. "Don't make me laugh," he croaked. "It hurts."

"Then don't be such a ninny."

"Fine time for you to get a sense of humor."

"Do you think you can walk?" he asked, changing the subject quickly.

"I don't think my legs are hurt," he replied.

"Is that a yes?"

"That's a 'I don't know.' I can barely breathe."

"Well, we're going to chance it."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then I guess we're going to chance it."

Kuai Liang faintly smiled and then carefully helped his friend sit up. Tomas winced in obvious pain, but it couldn't be helped. Then, he got to his feet, hobbled behind him, and once again threaded his arms through Smoke's armpits. Using all his strength, he lifted him to his feet. The other cried out in agony, but he stoically bit his lip and stifled the sound. He too, had thought about the dangers that noise posed to them.

"I'm alright," he breathed as he draped an arm over Sub-Zero's shoulder. "What about you, Hopalong Cassidy?"

"Who?" the Cryomancer asked. He was always surprised and puzzled by Smoke's strange quips.

"Oh, never mind," the other said. "You wanted me up, so I'm up. So let's move it."

"Yeah." Sub-Zero, ignoring the pain screaming from his own foot, bore the brunt of their weight as he led them into the cave.

"Do you know where we're going?" Tomas asked him a moment later.

"I have no clue," he replied as they limped down a shallow hill into the progressing darkness. But he did not stop until the cave floor rose up before them and sealed off their exit. In disbelief, he patted the solid rock wall, sighed, and punched it in desperation. Now his knuckles shrieked in pain, but he didn't care. "Dammit!" he cursed.

"Well, maybe being a glorified robot will be fun," Smoke joked.

Sub-Zero looked at him and scowled, though he knew his friend could not see. He started to say something snide in response, but defeated, just shook his head and said, "Maybe." He maneuvered them around and leaned on the wall.

"You two look lost," a clear voice broke through the air. A blue-white ball of energy not unlike one of Kuai Liang's ice balls appeared in front of them, swirling, twisting, growing until it had taken on the shape of a human. Sub-Zero and Smoke both shielded their eyes, blinded by the electric blue rays of light after being in the darkness for so long. After their eyes readjusted, both stared at the figure before them. He was a short man, Tibetan, wearing black silk robes. They recognized him immediately, but the Cryomancer could not believe his eyes.

"Xiao-Ping?" he asked. "Is that you?"


	8. The Ice Cavern

Hello, Kuai Liang. Hello, Tomas," Xiao-Ping greeted in plain English, stepping closer. "I'm glad to see you."

"But…you're dead," Sub-Zero protested in confusion. "I saw Oniro kill you."

"Wait," Smoke interrupted. "Are _we _dead?" At first, Sub-Zero thought his friend was cracking a joke, but when he glanced at him, he saw only a deadpan expression on his face.

Xiao-Ping raised his hands to quiet them both, smiling a knowing grin. "No, my son, you're not dead. Neither am I."

"But I saw Oniro kill you," Sub-Zero repeated in earnest.

"Yes, yes," he answered impatiently. "I have a lot of explaining to do, but if I'm not mistaken, Sektor has figured out that there was a cave-in, and he's already halfway cleared the rubble. Since I've taken great pains to ensure your escape from the Lin Kuei, it would be a shame to let him catch you while I tell you a story right here and now."

"Well, where are we going to go? It's a dead end."

"As is the case with a great many things, appearances are deceiving, young Tomas." He waved a hand that glowed with electric blue energy, and immediately the stone faded into nothingness. Beyond the wall was a magnificent cavern made entirely from ice. Far below, a river of water flowed over frozen rocks. Snow lined the banks on both sides. Brilliant white light glowed beneath the current, refracted off the giant ice crystals growing like stalactites and stalagmites throughout the cavern, and scattered like millions of tiny diamonds onto the walls. Swirling in a perfectly smooth wall at the front of the cavern was a silver mirror that almost seemed alive. Even from this distance, perhaps a thousand feet, Sub-Zero saw bluish-black arms of cloudy energy rotating counterclockwise like a spiral galaxy through a watery quicksilver liquid inside the mirror. Both he and Smoke were speechless.

Xiao-Ping stepped through the opening but both warriors remained still, entranced by this spectacular sight. "Are you waiting for an invitation?" he asked them in amusement. "Come!"

Sub-Zero shook his head and obeyed, silently dragging along his open-mouthed friend. As the pair limped through the doorway, the stone that had been there originally gradually crept back into place and sealed them in. Though Kuai Liang would've expected coldness in the atmosphere, the air around them felt remarkably temperate. "What is this place?" he asked.

"My home," he answered cheerfully.

"Your home?" he repeated. "Your home is in Tingri."

Xiao-Ping nodded. "Well, yes and no. I wanted to keep an eye on you, so I carved out this little niche for myself."

"It's a hell of a niche," Smoke said before he burst into a coughing fit. He clawed at his chest and let go of Sub-Zero's shoulder, collapsing to his feet.

"Oh, this will never do," Xiao-Ping declared. "Your Achilles' tendon is torn and Tomas' ribs are threatening to puncture his lungs. At this rate, you two will never make it to where you're supposed to be!" He knelt beside the warriors.

Anger suddenly simmered in Sub-Zero's blood. He felt its fiery warmth overpower the ice. "A mountain just fell on us," he scowled. "But we'll try to do better next time." He rested his hand on Smoke's back as if doing so would help his friend recover his breath.

"I know you will," Xiao-Ping smiled as if he hadn't really heard the fury in the younger man's voice. Then he pinched Sub-Zero's cheek and patted it hard. The Cryomancer blinked in confusion. It wasn't an act of aggression, but an act of…admiration? Like...something a loving patriarch would do to his children or grandchildren.

As Kuai Liang frowned, trying to decipher the old man's strange actions, Xiao-Ping rested a wrinkly and age-spotted hand on Smoke's chest. Immediately, blue energy radiated from his palm into the warrior's chest cavity, racing off in multiple directions like little streams of light. They disappeared almost as quickly as they had formed. Smoke instantly stopped coughing, cried out loudly for a long moment, then relaxed. As Sub-Zero watched in amazement, every cut and bruise on his friend's body healed and faded in the blink of an eye. After about a minute, Xiao-Ping withdrew his hand.

"Your turn," he told the Cryomancer as Smoke rubbed his chest in disbelief.

"Wait, what are you doing-" Sub-Zero protested, but the old man ignored him and gripped his wounded ankle with a hand wreathed in blue light. A pulse of icy cold energy surged through his foot. Now it was _his_ turn to cry out in pain. It was as if the energy had frozen his bones solid, shattered them, and now grinded them together to dull the sharp edges. But quickly, the shock leapt into his bloodstream and numbed his leg completely. It felt similar to An-Zhi's neutralizing move that rendered victims unconscious, but rather than make Sub-Zero faint, Xiao-Ping's power somehow revitalized him. His head, which he only just now realized had been splitting all along, flooded with blessed relief. Even the dull ache in his recently broken and hastily set finger vanished. In the pain's place was newfound strength.

"I…I don't believe it," he breathed when the old man had finished healing him.

"Well, don't think that every time you get a little bump or bruise that I'll be there to fix you," Xiao-Ping lectured them. "You both, to borrow an American expression, used your 'Get out of jail free' cards. But I won't be able to help you next time. So be more careful from now on." He got to his feet, surprisingly agile for a man seemingly advanced in age. But Kuai Liang knew after living with Oniro all these years that his appearance meant absolutely nothing.

Smoke, still not quite believing that he'd just been magically healed, reluctantly stood up as well. "Thank you," he said when had stood in place for a few seconds.

"Yes, thank you," Sub-Zero echoed.

"Now that we have that out of the way, come." Xiao-Ping turned and led them down a naturally occurring rock staircase dusted in a thin layer of snow that winded around towards the strange mirror. He pointed to the cavern. "I bet you never guessed this was right under your feet."

"Well, you're right about that," Sub-Zero said.

"I knew I had to keep a close eye on you. You're sweet boys, but you have this propensity to get yourselves into trouble. And Tingri is not close enough to keep an eye on you."

"Can you please explain to me how you're not dead?"

He chortled. "_Golems_," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm a sorcerer," he said. "And any sorcerer worth a lick of salt can create a _golem_, a creature made from the mud of the earth that for all intents and purposes looks and behaves like a living being. But, it isn't a living being. It's just an illusion. It exists only to serve my will."

"You mean like a slave," Smoke said flatly. "Like what Oniro and Sektor want to do to us."

"Not quite. I make the form of a human, but it has no soul, no will. It's just mud. My power makes it look like something more. You, however, do have souls, and I am a firm believer in free will. That is why I'm helping you escape." He winked then resumed the long trek down the staircase. "I've watched you boys since you were children," he said. "I had a feeling you'd both be integral to the survival of mankind."

"Oh, really?" Smoke asked skeptically.

"Yes, really." He paused. "However, I was worried that the Lin Kuei were corrupting your good hearts. But, in spite of my concerns, you grew up with more of a moral center than I had any right to expect. With your father being the man he was, Kuai Liang, it's a wonder you didn't turn out just like him. Bless your sweet mother for her influence."

"What do you know of my mother?" Sub-Zero asked suspiciously, feeling his anger rise again.

"Magdalene Sullivan, Maggie for short, the only daughter of Louisa and Seamus Sullivan. They were Irish immigrants to the United States. She was born in Wexford right before they moved to New York. She was a god-fearing, compassionate woman who'd give the clothes off her back to help someone in need. It's a mystery how she ended up with your father of all people. But that's neither here nor there. What matters is that your father, no matter how hard he tried, could not erase her mark on you."

"What do you mean 'she was'?" he prodded.

"Nothing, nothing," he answered hastily. "The point is that when I heard about Oniro's ridiculous Cyber Initiative, I wanted to test your virtue. So I contracted the Lin Kuei to assassinate me. I knew that Oniro had doubts about your commitment to his cause, so I knew he'd force you to kill me. He's too predictable that way." He stopped and faced the young warriors again. "You passed the test, Kuai Liang. You don't know how proud that makes me." He turned again and stepped off the bottom stair. From there, it was a short walk to the mirror.

"So what is it you think we're supposed to do?" Sub-Zero asked pointedly. "Save the world? From what?"

"No, no, no," Xiao-Ping replied. "Saving the world is not just a one man job. Your story is but one of many threads being carefully woven into an intricate tapestry."

"Good, because I don't have time to save the world. I'm on a mission to figure out how my brother died."

"Yes, I know. Bi-han had lost his way. He was troubled. Angry. Sad. He is in my prayers." Xiao-Ping bowed his head with eyes closed and pressed his balled up fist to his heart. Then he looked at Kuai Liang. "Your path must first take you to Japan."

"Japan?" he repeated. "What's in Japan?"

"Some of the answers that you seek. But I warn you, Kuai Liang. You may not like what you find. You must ask yourself if knowing the truth is worth the price you will pay."

"It's my brother. Is _any_ price too much to pay?"

"Only you can decide."

"What's with all the mystery?" Smoke interrupted.

Xiao-Ping hesitated. "In recent years, Bi-han was becoming more like An-Zhi and becoming less like Maggie. He has done terrible things. Things you might not be able to accept."

"You mean killing people? We're assassins. That's what we do."

"But does that make it acceptable? No." Xiao-Ping sighed. "Kuai Liang, you have been remembering much that you had forgotten."

"How did you know that?"

"Because I made you remember."

"Why?"

"Bi-han's eternal soul is in jeopardy. If I'm right, then the only way for you to help him is by remembering those events."

Sub-Zero nodded. Concern flooded him. Bi-han's death was bad enough, but he had hoped his brother was at least at peace. But what if he was wrong? "I understand," he stated.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Smoke interjected. "How can we be sure you're not Shang Tsung? I understand he's a sorcerer like you claim to be."

Xiao-Ping rolled his eyes. "Shang Tsung is a child compared to me. Shao Kahn's lap dog. You can't even put us in the same category." He scoffed at the idea.

"How can we be certain?"

"And who is Shao Kahn?" Sub-Zero asked.

"He is an evil immortal who rules Outworld," he explained. "He conquered it thousands of years ago, and now turns a jealous eye towards Earthrealm. He will stop at nothing to conquer it as well. Of all the realms, ours is the richest in terms of life and resources. He thinks he is a god, but he is no god." Disdain dripped from Xiao-Ping's voice.

"You didn't answer my question," Smoke accused. "How can we be certain you're really on our side?"

" I suppose you can't be certain," he said. "I can't prove to you that I am who I am. You're just going to have to trust me."

"Trust you?" Smoke repeated, almost yelling. "You just got through telling us that you've lied to us our whole lives. We thought you were just an old Tibetan man from Tingri who used to give us candy, and you tell us that you're a sorcerer who's been spying on us our whole lives. We'd be stupid to trust you. Are you even Tibetan?"

Xiao-Ping smiled and rested his hands on Smoke's shoulders. "Dear Tomas, I do not regret my decision to make you Kuai Liang's protector."

"What?"

"I don't need a protector!" Sub-Zero blurted out at the same time.

"Yes, you do," he insisted. "Tomas, when you were slated to go to the Mortal Kombat tournament, I had a feeling your talents would be better spent keeping an eye on Kuai Liang. So I, posing as Shang Tsung, specifically requested that Oniro send Sektor and Cyrax instead. Irreverent sense of humor notwithstanding, you have a shrewd, analytical mind. It is to be admired."

"For the record, I saved Smoke from Oniro last night," Sub-Zero said.

"That is true," Smoke added. "He killed him. I meant to tell you, nice kori sword, by the way. Bi-han would be proud. I guess you've finally mastered it."

"Wrong and wrong," Xiao-Ping corrected. "You did not kill Oniro. You only delayed him."

"But, I ran him through. I saw him fall."

"Do you really believe he was so easily beaten?"

"It wasn't easy," he stated.

"Trust me. It was easy. And Oniro did not become the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei by being easily defeated in battle. He's alive and well and out for blood now. And as for Kuai Liang's kori sword…he has not mastered it. For one, fleeting second, he was able to focus his emotions and produce a sword because your life was at stake. But I challenge you to do it now, Kuai Liang, when Tomas is not in danger."

Sub-Zero narrowed his eyes in annoyance, but obliged the old man. He channeled his icy energy into his arms and hands, feeling it pulse in his bloodstream as his body temperature dropped. _Just visualize the sword_, he heard Bi-han command in his stern voice. He closed his eyes and created the image of a large broadsword in his mind, then tried to will his power to recreate the picture in ice. Slippery ice grew and expanded in his hands, but when he opened his eyes, his kori sword was more like a large hunting dagger.

"Wow, that was sad," Smoke teased.

"Shut up," he barked back.

"Let me give you some advice," Xiao-Ping began.

"Oh great," he mumbled. "A sorcerer is going to teach me how to use my powers."

"Yes, I am," the old man retorted, for the first time annoyed. "You should show me some respect. I have seen empires rise and fall. I've seen cities turned to salt and plagues destroy entire civilizations. I evoked memories you had long since buried, and I made it possible for you to leave the Lin Kuei temple. I decided where your ice sled would stop, and where the earth would cave in so you could escape. In my littlest finger I possess more knowledge than you can possibly comprehend, including the secrets of the Cryomancers who came before you, Kuai Liang. You would do well to remember that!"

Sub-Zero bristled in embarrassment and shame for being upbraided like a small child. He bowed his head deferentially and folded his hands together. "Forgive me," he said. "I should not have spoken so disrespectfully."

Xiao-Ping bowed his head and folded his hands as well. "Now," he said, straightening again, "tell me what you do when you try to form a kori sword."

"Bi-han told me to imagine what the sword looks like in my head. So I do, but when I try to recreate it in ice, it falls short."

"He only gave you half the formula. But that is not his fault. He was much colder than you. Therefore, he never consciously thought about how his feelings affected his powers, or how they could affect yours. You must first focus all your emotions into a single purpose as you did when you fought Oniro."

"But my feelings _are_ focused."

"No, they aren't. I sense them in you. They are sporadic and swirling through your mind chaotically. You must train yourself to unite them. Only then will you be successful. It is something that will require extensive practice."

"Sounds easier said than done," Smoke said.

"Yes. But he will be a better warrior for it." He paused. "Now, are you going to Japan or not?"

"How are we going to get there?" Smoke asked. "We're trapped."

"What did I tell you about appearances being deceiving?" He pointed to the mirror. "That's your way out. It's a portal to anywhere. I'll send you to Japan, to the highlands of Shikoku. You must seek out the Shirai Ryu village. Much will be revealed there."

"Wait, hold on a minute," Sub-Zero said, waving his hands in the air. "You want us to seek out the Shirai Ryu, our mortal enemies? How stupid do you think we are? The two of us against all of them? We're superior warriors, true, but they'll greatly outnumber us. It'd be like leading sheep to slaughter! I won't do it."

"What do you think we have to gain by going there?" Smoke asked, ignoring his friend's angry declaration.

"You're not actually considering doing this," the other said.

"I am."

"Then you're out of your mind!"

"Not twelve hours ago, you had the courage to quit the Lin Kuei even though you knew they'd hunt us down like animals. Where's your sense of adventure? Besides, you're the one who needs answers."

"Marching deep into enemy territory was not exactly what I had in mind."

"My sons, stop arguing," Xiao-Ping commanded and both fell silent. He faced Sub-Zero. "Kuai Liang, I understand your concerns, but you are now fugitives from the Lin Kuei. Fugitives, like the original founders of the Shirai Ryu."

"I'm going," Smoke declared. "With or without you."

Sub-Zero rubbed his forehead, feeling a dull, throbbing pain begin again. "This is suicide," he muttered.

"What's your decision?"

He sighed. Xiao-Ping and Smoke both looked at him expectantly. "I don't think-" he began but was interrupted by a loud explosion above. Thousands of rocks and chunks of ice sailed through the air and rained down upon the cavern, creating a thick mist of snow and water vapor. Immediately, Sub-Zero and Smoke took defensive fighting stances while Xiao-Ping folded his arms calmly and looked at the source of the explosion, the cavern entrance. When the debris cleared, they were not surprised to see Sektor and Cyrax at the head of a group of gray-clad warriors. The fugitives were stunned, however, to see Oniro standing beside them.

"You see, Sektor?" Oniro called loudly so the men on the ground could hear. "It is as I said. Here they are, hiding like rats in a wall." When Sub-Zero and Smoke said nothing in response, he smirked. "Surprised to see me my young traitors?" With that, he leapt from the cliff's edge to the floor while Sektor, Cyrax, and their men raced down the icy staircase.

"Not really," Sub-Zero replied, bluffing.

"Yeah, you've always struck us as the 'always gets his man' type," Smoke added.

"Your insolence and insubordination will be eradicated when you are transformed," he threatened.

Now Xiao-Ping broke in, stepping through the fugitive warriors like a king. "I'm sorry, Oniro," he announced, "but you will not be transforming anyone today."

At first the Grandmaster's eyes bulged in shock to see the man walking towards him alive and unharmed. Then his eyes narrowed. "_Himavat_," he said knowingly. "You are not allowed to interfere."

"Do not presume to tell me what I am and am not allowed to do," the old man shot back. "I warned the Lin Kuei centuries ago that when they built their temple in my dominion, I would never cease watching their comings and goings." Though their faces remained fixed on the enemy threat, Sub-Zero and Smoke exchanged a look of confusion out of the corners of their eyes. Himavat? Why did that name sound familiar?

"This matter does not concern you."

"On the contrary. I'm very concerned about this."

Oniro stroked his cheeks thoughtfully. "Kuai Liang?"

"More or less," he replied cryptically.

"Interesting. But he belongs to me and to the Lin Kuei."

"These boys belong to no one, least of all you."

Sub-Zero cringed at being called a boy in front of the Grandmaster. "I will not be turned into a cyborg," he declared in his manliest voice.

"Nor will I," Smoke said, also trying to sound more masculine than normal.

"You have your answer," Xiao-Ping, or Himavat, told Oniro with arms sternly crossed. "You will leave now."

"The Law forbids you to interfere," he sneered. "You will not stop me."

"When interpreting the Law, free will is a tricky matter. When we can and cannot interfere with a mortal is a highly contested issue. But you are forgetting one very important thing, Oniro," he replied. "I have free will too."

With that, he withdrew his hands from underneath his armpits. Sub-Zero saw they now glowed electric blue. That energy instantly flowed in thick streams from Himavat's hands into Oniro's chest, launching the Grandmaster ten feet into the air and through a large ice stalagmite behind him. At that moment, Sektor's squad reached the lower terrace and attacked them. While Smoke took Cyrax and about three men on, Sub-Zero found himself dodging and countering Sektor and the other five men's attacks.

He easily froze two of the younger ones into tall columns of ice that looked like more of Himavat's stalagmites. However, the other four lunged at him at once, and he found himself on the ground in the middle of a dog pile being punched and kicked mercilessly. He grabbed a gray clad ankle and ran it through with an ice dagger before throwing the warrior back. He heard the man howl as he stumbled backwards. Now Sub-Zero lobbed an ice ball at another of Sektor's men as the other fired a crossbow at his chest, but he rolled over just as the dart screamed past him and lodged itself harmlessly into the ice. He didn't have time to watch his opponent slowly freeze to death when the ice ball careened into him because Sektor and the last man were scrambling for him like men hunting a fleeing rabbit.

Then something caught Sektor in the shoulder and violently ripped him out of the fight. Both Sub-Zero and the last warrior watched in stunned shock as the red clad assassin wailed as he flew into an ice wall and stuck. Kuai Liang now saw what caught him: a large battleaxe made from solid blue ice. He whipped around and saw Himavat recovering from a throwing stance. He had made the axe! When the old man saw him staring, he pointed frantically to the side.

"Behind you!" he yelled.

Sub-Zero remembered his last opponent and with cat-like reflexes, poured his freezing energy into his fists. Then he leapt onto his knees and turned in time to catch the warrior with a cold, focused punch to the gut. Instantly, the Cryomancer felt the man's abdomen turn to ice, shatter beneath his knuckles, and give way to his guts. Warm blood and internal organs immediately solidified into blocks of ice that exploded underneath his hand's powerful momentum. In less than a second, his hand broke through the man's spine and back. In horrified shock – he had never done anything so brutal with his powers before – he yanked his fist out of the man and looked at his face.

The warrior, a man – man? – younger than him, couldn't have been more than eighteen, and he bore the expression of fear and stunned pain in his green eyes. Sub-Zero thought his name was Oliver. Oliver looked down on him as if to ask _how could you_, and his mouth, wide opened, trembled as streams of blood began pouring out. Perhaps only a second later, the younger warrior collapsed to the floor in a dead heap. Sub-Zero leapt up, shaking uncontrollably. It had been years since a fight bothered him so badly.

Smoke, who had already neutralized his own opponents and was now hog-tying Cyrax with a nylon rope, watched in stunned silence. "Whoa," was all he could say.

"You two need to leave," Himavat barked urgently. "Now!"

Sub-Zero nodded as Smoke finished up with Cyrax. "Send us to Japan," he breathed, his voice trembling. He kept replaying the last few moments in his head and walked towards the portal with Smoke in tow. But suddenly, they heard a panther roar and Sub-Zero felt himself falling to the floor under the weight of a large, black jungle cat. Claws ripped open his shoulder when they landed, but though fire coursed through his neck and arm, the wound was only superficial.

A thick wall of smoke surged around them then, and Oniro growled unhappily before he staggered off the Cryomancer, blinded. Sub-Zero then felt strong hands grab him by the shoulders and pull him out from under the heavy black cloud. He ignored the pain in his shoulder and stumbled to his feet. Himavat and Smoke looked at him expectantly.

"Are you hurt badly, Kuai Liang?" Smoke asked him in concern.

"Just a scratch," he replied as he waved his friend off.

"Good," Himavat said. "Tomas' smoke bomb will not hold Oniro off forever." He now had a tall walking staff made out of bone in his hands; the two fugitives saw strange symbols burned at least a centimeter into its ivory surface. He stretched out his staff towards the swirling portal and chanted unrecognizable words from an unrecognizable language. Both Sub-Zero and Smoke looked towards the portal and saw it swirling faster now, like a whirling tornado or maelstrom rather than a lazy pinwheel. The cloudy arms suspended in the quicksilver began whipping around so fast that they blurred together and quickly exploded in a brilliant whitish-blue light that released a loud burst of blowing air. Through the luminescent energy and wind, Sub-Zero vaguely saw a mountainous hillside covered in green grass, tall trees, and treacherous rock cliffs.

"Go," Himavat told them.

"What about Oniro?" Smoke asked.

"He's no problem for me," the old man said with a smile. "But he will be for you." He produced a small orange and black amulet out of thin air with his other hand and handed it to Sub-Zero. Seemingly made of wrought-iron and stained glass, with a Chinese dragon expertly crafted into its face, it felt heavy in his own hands.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It'll take you to Outworld when you're ready," he explained quickly. "I'll find you soon."

"But how does it work?" he frowned.

"Himavat!" Oniro yelled, leaping from the smoky air and landing in front of the portal. He was human once more. "Nobody leaves the Lin Kuei! Nobody!"

"It is not wise to invoke my anger, Oniro," the old man growled. He reached out with his free hand, pulsing once again with blue energy, and made a gripping motion with his fist. As if an unseen hand clamped down on the Grandmaster, Oniro's body and robes squeezed together. Then Himavat jerked his fist upward and his enemy was launched into the air, thrown backwards into the vast expanse of icy cavern.

"Go, now, before he comes back!" Himavat yelled. Without a word, both warriors bolted for the glowing portal. When Sub-Zero crossed the event horizon, a cold bolt of electricity, far more frigid than anything he ever felt before, shocked him and stole his breath. As when his father gripped him with his icy hands, rendering him unconscious, he felt dizzy, weak, and tired. A second later, he stumbled through the razor thin portal, choking and trying not to faint. He fell onto fragrant yellow-green grass under a hot, Japanese sun. In the distance, the gray ocean waxed and waned gently.


	9. The Quest to Find the Shirai Ryu

"Kuai Liang?" he heard his name, but it sounded like it had been said underwater.

Disoriented, Sub-Zero ran his fingers through the warm grass as he pushed himself onto his knees. He felt drowsy, like he was caught somewhere between reality and a dream. The bright colors around him blurred together in a surreal mosaic that would not focus no matter how hard he squinted. Time had slowed to a standstill. A crisp ocean wind steadily whipped across the rocky land and blew in his face. The sudden chill, a stark contrast to the blazing heat bearing down on him from the sun, finally snapped him out of his confusion.

"Kuai Liang?" he heard again, clearly this time.

"I'm okay, Tomas," he said, sitting and holding his head in his hands. Once, he and Tomas snuck into a tavern in Tingri and spent the night drinking warm Japanese sake. At the time, the sake went down smoothly. But the next morning, neither of them could move, and he spent the day throwing up, much to his father's chagrin. It had been the first and last time Sub-Zero got drunk, but now, sitting in the middle of the Shikoku highlands, he felt like he was nursing a hangover yet again.

"Well, that was awesome," Tomas groaned, rubbing his own temples painfully.

"If by 'awesome' you mean awful," he replied.

"I feel like I've been run over by a train."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"Great minds think alike," his friend declared and stood. He held out his arm to help the other to his feet. Kuai Liang clutched his forearm and stood as well.

"Shikoku," he said. "If you were the Shirai Ryu, where would you hide?"

Tomas looked around at their surroundings. They stood on a grassy plain littered with huge boulders, but the landscape was marred by deep sylvan ravines. Thickly forested mountains towered behind them. At the seashore nearby, a bustling city thrived. "I'd hide the hell away from us," he replied.

"I think we should lay low until sundown," he declared. "Wait until we have the cover of darkness. We should also find disguises. We don't exactly blend."

"Aw, but you just look so handsome in blue," his friend teased. Without warning, Sub-Zero punched him squarely in the meatiest part of his shoulder. "Ow!" he yelped. "Some people can't take a joke."

"_Some people_ insisted on parading into enemy territory, so maybe, just maybe, _some people_ should start taking this seriously," he hissed back.

Tomas narrowed his eyes. "_Some people_ think that maybe, just maybe, you've missed your afternoon nap so now you're getting cranky. Can I get you a binky and a bottle? Maybe a soft blanket?" Sub-Zero took an aggressive step towards his friend, and Smoke stood defensively, anticipating a skirmish, but then held up his hands and caught the punch, stopping him. "Look," he said. Kuai Liang turned around and saw a small, beat up Toyota pick-up truck meandering on a road nearby them, driven by a middle-aged man. Smoke began laughing heartily.

"What's so funny?" Sub-Zero demanded to know.

"The Shirai Ryu."

"What about them?" he hissed.

"When you think of them, don't you imagine some old-world Samurais or something?" the other asked. "Like a group of warriors stuck a few hundred years in the past? But here we are, where they live, and they've made a home in the midst of all this modernity. I mean, we live in the Tibetan Himalayas. That's about as backwoods and old-world as you can get. But not these guys. Look at that city down there, and those ships in the harbor. That bridge over there. And even that guy driving that truck on a paved road. It's funny."

"Yeah, it's hysterical," he said flatly.

"So what's your grand plan? To dress like tourists?"

"Yeah," the other said. "I see a hotel." He pointed towards a structure about a mile away, built into the hillside. "Let's go." The two trekked to the hotel in silence, gracefully cutting across the field and rocks and arriving less than fifteen minutes later. Five minutes after that, they had stolen two of some guy's outfits as well as his duffel bag after they watched him leave his room. Now Tomas carried their Lin Kuei uniforms in the duffel bag on his shoulder.

When that business was taken care of, both men, hungry, found their way to an outdoor patio restaurant and ate. Kuai Liang, who had brought several different types of money from his stash in the Lin Kuei temple, including Japanese yen, paid for heaping platters of yakizakana, udon noodles, and sukiyaki. The waitress tempted them with sake, but they declined and opted for green tea instead.

Kuai Liang thoughtfully nibbled his food, thinking about Xiao-Ping, or Himavat, or whoever the hell he was. He was knowledgeable about ice, having taught him about the kori sword and forming his own kori battleaxe. Even his father and his brother couldn't do something as spectacular as that. As far as Kuai Liang was concerned, that meant only one thing. Himavat was no mere sorcerer. He was a Cryomancer too. Sub-Zero had grown up thinking that his family were the only ones left, but if Himavat was around, perhaps there were others too.

"Why does the name Himavat sound familiar?" he asked aloud, not really meaning to and surprised with himself when he spoke the words.

"I keep asking myself that, but I can't remember," Tomas answered. "It's one of those things that's going to drive me crazy trying to remember it, and then in the middle of the night, it's going to hit me."

"Did you see that axe he made?"

"Yeah, but I'm more interested in what _you_ did," he said. "You really laid down the law with that kid."

"I don't want to talk about it," he grumbled. In his mind's eye, he saw the stunned expression on the young fighter's face as his guts froze into a solid block of ice. Pangs of guilt squirmed into knots in his own stomach.

"Well, I do."

"Well, I don't." He paused. "Wasn't his name Oliver?"

"Oscar," the other corrected. "The Seekers found him in Italy."

"He wasn't very old, was he?"

"I think he just turned eighteen. He was just barely old enough to accompany Sektor's squad."

He swallowed hard. Oscar, age eighteen, from Italy, his life abruptly cut short by the fugitive assassin. Sub-Zero frowned and rubbed his temples. His whole existence revolved around death. He had spent his entire life learning how to murder someone, and he was good at it. Ice water ran through his veins and numbed him to any feelings of remorse. So why now did killing someone bother him?

The waitress came back, jarring him out of his thoughts, and Tomas looked up at her. "Have you heard of the Shirai Ryu?" he asked in Japanese.

"What are you doing?" Kuai Liang barked at him in English.

"We need intelligence," he replied and then looked at the woman again. "Well, have you?" he prodded. She stood there, stunned, with surprised eyes bulging out of their sockets. Like a deer caught in the headlights, she seemed frozen in place. But after a long moment, she darted away.

"Evidently, she _has_ heard of them," Kuai Liang remarked drily. He swallowed a swig of tea, balled up his napkin, then threw it on the table. "We better go." Smoke shrugged and stood just as the waitress returned with an elderly man dressed in a suit who could only be the manager.

"You will leave now!" he commanded.

"Can you tell us where to find the Shirai Ryu?" Smoke asked as if he hadn't heard him.

"You do not find the Shirai Ryu," the man replied. "They find you. Now leave!"

"Well, can you give us the general vicinity where we might find them?" he pressed.

"Leave!"

"All right, all right. We're going," he said as he held up his arms deferentially.

"Smooth," Sub-Zero said as they both men hastily left the restaurant. Outside, a beautiful woman dressed in a black suit and high-heeled boots, with crescent shaped tattoos on either side of her face, leaned against a cherry tree with her arms crossed. She stared at them intently with hard, black eyes.

"Can I help you?" he asked antagonistically.

She burst out laughing. "Hardly."

"Then quit staring at us," he snapped and continued walking up the path.

"You're looking for the Shirai Ryu," she called after they had passed her. "But asking the locals? That's sloppy. I expected better from the Lin Kuei. I always thought you were the shoot first, ask questions later sort of men."

Sub-Zero and Smoke both whirled around and faced her. "We're not looking to kill anyone to get answers," Sub-Zero replied as he gave her the once over. "Then again, the day is young. Who are you?" he demanded to know.

She smiled. "A friend of your brother's," she answered. "He told me all about you. Told me you need looking after. Now I know why. My name is Sareena."

"His brother is de-" Tomas began but Kuai Liang cut him off.

"Tell us what you know about the Shirai Ryu," he said.

"My God, you look just like him," she replied flirtatiously as she sauntered to him and fingered the Tommy Hilfiger logo embroidered on the breast of his white polo shirt. He batted her delicate white hand away.

"Answer me," he insisted.

She frowned then backed away. "That manager was right. You don't find them. They find you."

"Those people are obviously just scared."

She laughed again, louder this time. "Oh, honey, they're not scared. They're protective."

"Protective? Of the Shirai Ryu?" He shook his head in disbelief and scoffed.

"Yes," she insisted. "The Shirai Ryu have protected these lands for hundreds of years. These people look up to them. They won't help you." She paused. "Fortunately for you, I know how to find their temple."

"And let me guess," Smoke began. "You'll tell us everything we want to know. For a price."

"Not this time," Sareena said. "This one's a freebie. Let's just say I owe your brother a favor."

"Fine," Sub-Zero said. "How do we find their temple?"

"It's on the southern face of Mt. Dogamori," she said. "It's almost due west of here. Two miles north of the river."

Sub-Zero and Smoke looked at one another. "How can we be sure we can trust-" he started to ask Sareena but then trailed off. She was gone. He and Smoke looked around, but she was nowhere to be found.

"I don't like this," Tomas declared. "I feel like we're walking into a trap."

"Agreed," he said. "But right now, it's all we have to go on."

"Well, if you insist on going to Mt. Dogamori, I insist we proceed with caution. That She-devil could be working for the Shirai Ryu as a spy."

Sub-Zero smiled in amusement. "'She-devil'?" he repeated. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Trust me, my friend. _All _women are She-devils," Tomas explained. "Of course, I wouldn't expect you to know that because I know how hard it is to get a girl when you're competing with me."

Sub-Zero rolled his eyes. "You sure about that, Tomas?" he responded competitively. "It seems like she was pretty fond of _me_."

"I'm actually inclined to think she has the hots for your brother," he answered.

"Yeah, well, she said I look just like him," he shot back with a grin.

"Poor, poor fool," Smoke chuckled softly as he clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's go hotwire a car. I don't feel like walking to Mt. Dogamori."

A couple hours later, after stealing a Prius, they abandoned the car on the road a couple miles from the base of the mountain. It was quiet and secluded, and not accessible save for that main road winding sharply through the land. The forest was thick here, and very few traces of civilization could be found. To the west, the sun was setting in a blaze of orange and pink light.

The two assassins trekked towards the mountain, and after about a mile of rigorous hiking, they came upon a small valley and a tiny cabin with a wooden dock jutting over the rushing river. At the end of the dock, a man and his son were tying up their fishing boat. Sub-Zero and Smoke exchanged a look, knowing they needed help crossing, so Sub-Zero approached the pair to ask for a ride.

However, when the boy caught sight of them approaching, his eyes filled with terror. "Lin Kuei!" he shrieked and ran towards the house.

"How'd he know?" Smoke asked, but Sub-Zero had no answer. They still wore the clothes they stole from the tourist.

"Get back!" the boy's father cried, wielding his fishing pole like a baseball bat. "Haven't the Lin Kuei done enough damage?"

"How do you know we're Lin Kuei?" Smoke asked him and the man pointed angrily at his tattoo. Both assassins had the tribal triangle symbol of the Lin Kuei printed on their right forearms. Smoke looked at Sub-Zero and shrugged. "I didn't think the average peasant would know about our tattoos," he said.

"Murderers!" the man spat. "Butchers! I won't let you hurt my family!"

"We're not going to hurt you," Sub-Zero said, holding up his hands to calm the man. "We just need you to take us across the river in your boat."

"Why?" the other hissed. "Did you accidentally leave someone alive?"

The fugitives frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Smoke asked.

"Dishonorable cowards!" he cried.

"Okay, this has been delightful," Sub-Zero shook his head, "but we're in a hurry." He easily disarmed the man, grabbed him by the shoulder, and pumped the chill of ice into his blood. The man collapsed like a rag doll in his arms, so he gently laid him on the dock. "He'll wake up in a while," he told Smoke. They climbed into the rowboat and started rowing to the opposite shore while the fisherman's wife and son ran to him, crying.

"What's their deal?" Kuai Liang asked his friend, looking at the terrified family.

"I don't know."

"That man acted like he'd seen us before. It was like we brought back a bad memory or something."

The two reached the other shore, pulled the boat out of the river, and changed back into their Lin Kuei uniforms. Then they darted into the darkening forest, making their way to the southernmost slope of Mt. Dogamori. But two miles from the river, they found…nothing.

"You see?" Smoke said in annoyance. "She-devil."

Sub-Zero looked around, also annoyed. It was difficult to see, even with the light of the half moon overhead. There was a large cliff face not unlike the one that housed their own Lin Kuei temple, though at a much lower altitude and in a much warmer climate, and it tapered into a gigantic cavern that receded deep into the mountain. A barren clearing at least twice its size surrounded it before growing back into dense forest. He scanned the landscape with squinted eyes, and felt his heart leap in excitement when he saw a stone staircase camouflaged by a pile of rocks.

"Look!" he whispered as he trotted to it. He brushed away the small rocks, and Smoke soon joined him. Quickly, they unearthed it completely.

"This is man-made," his friend declared. The two looked at each other and then jumped to their feet, surveying their surroundings for any sign of ambush. But nothing moved except for the wind through the trees.

The hair on the back of Sub-Zero's neck stood on end. Something wasn't right here. He felt the heavy weight of eyes fixated on him, watching him. Though it was a balmy night, he felt a sudden chill in the air. "I think we're in the right place," he said quietly, never taking his eyes off the trees. "Keep looking."

While Smoke inspected the cliff, Sub-Zero found himself drawn to the tree line to the west. He stepped in the barren circle and caught sight of something black marring the dirt; when he knelt down to inspect it, he realized it was a large patch of char, the residue left by fire. He ran his fingers through it, smearing them with old ashes. A twig snapped to his left and the sound rang clearly in his ears. Sub-Zero looked back at his friend, who, kneeling just inside the cliff cavern studying his own discovery, hadn't heard the faint noise over the wind.

Feeling eyes on him still, he trilled like a sparrow to get Smoke's attention. It was an old Lin Kuei code, and as expected, his friend immediately looked at him. Silently, Sub-Zero waved two fingers at him, signaling him to follow him. Smoke obliged as the other stood up and crept towards the tree line. The moonlight failed here, and he felt uneasy as the darkness enveloped him and the trees rose high above him; the air became close in a claustrophobic sort of way, and a terrible heaviness settled on him.

In the distance, some animal, perhaps a fox, cried hauntingly, and Sub-Zero wished the gentle wind would die completely so he could hear the forest better. Out of the corner of his eye, a black silhouette darted deeper into the trees, and immediately he gave chase. He took two steps, however, before he sensed something chasing _him_. It felt like a vicious dog bearing down on him, nipping at his heels as he ran, threatening to rip him to pieces if he dared to stop. But when he did stop to confront his attacker, there was nothing but the trees and the wind steadily blowing through the leaves. _I'm being hunted_, he thought, and it disconcerted him. Then, the moon broke through the trees and shined its half-light on him, revealing a new discovery.

"My God," he muttered as Tomas ran up beside him.

"What the-" the other trailed off.

They had stumbled upon a new clearing. Piled high in the center was a mound of half-burned bodies numbering at least a few hundred. In the pale light, the two men saw a plethora of small birds feasting on the recently deceased, stinking corpses of men, women, and children. Angrily, Smoke lobbed a large bomb into their midst to frighten them away. As the wind gradually carried the black cloud away, Sub-Zero covered his mouth and nose to block out the stench of death before he crept cautiously towards them.

He knelt beside the pile, scrutinizing the evidence carefully. He looked at a man whose face was half-melted and clothes were charred as well. Even still, he saw that the man wore a yellow and black ninja garment with a yellow scorpion embroidered upon his breast. Sub-Zero glanced around and saw more men like the first, some of them burned, some of them split open from belly to throat, some of them missing their heads. But they all shared one thing: the traditional uniform of the Shirai Ryu.

"What happened to them?" he whispered.

"It looks like they were…exterminated," his friend answered.

"This happened recently. No more than a week, judging by the state of decomposition," he said. "But why? And who would do this?"

"I don't know why," Smoke began, "but I have an idea of who." Sub-Zero whipped his head around and saw his friend holding out a kitana sword. Anger and disbelief lodged in his throat. The blade looked familiar. But it couldn't be! Swallowing hard, frowning, he took it from his friend and studied it. Though its finer details were blurred by the darkness and dried blood, he still could make out the triangle symbol etched into the base. He knew this sword well, had wanted it more than anything in the world because it was an heirloom and a symbol of pride, and was jealous when it didn't come to him. But now, as he held his family's kitana in his hands, he struggled not to throw up. It was Bi-han's.


	10. Warm Welcome

With an angry grunt, Sub-Zero threw the kitana towards the trees and staggered to his feet. "It's not possible!" he yelled. "That's not my brother's sword!"

Smoke inhaled deeply, wincing in his own disbelief. "Yes, it is," he insisted sadly.

"No! No, I am _not_ going to let you stand there and tell me that my brother was a…a…" he trailed off. His words failed him. He couldn't bring himself to say that his brother had been a part of genocide.

"That's not the only thing I found," the other said. "There were other weapons in that cave, and all of them belonged to the Lin Kuei. That cave was the foundation of a much larger structure, of a building on par with our own temple. I found a few timbers, some pots and pans and stuff, and God help me, children's toys, but it was otherwise completely burned to the ground."

"Are you actually suggesting the Lin Kuei systematically exterminated the Shirai Ryu?" Sub-Zero felt his emotions snowballing, rapidly swirling out of control.

"I'm just telling you what the evidence is suggesting," he replied.

"First of all, you're out of your mind," he hissed, waving his hand at the other to show he was completely disregarding his words. "Secondly, an operation like this would have required every single one of us. I don't know about you, but I don't recall wiping out our mortal enemies!"

"Your brother had been sent on a secret mission. Maybe he contracted a small army. Maybe he was working with the Black Dragon. You heard Oniro. We've been working closely with them lately because of the Cyber Initiative."

"Do you know how insane you sound right now?"

Smoke raised an eyebrow at him. "What about Himavat?"

"What about him?" Sub-Zero growled.

"He said Bi-han had done things you wouldn't want to accept. He said his soul was in jeopardy. Maybe this is what he meant."

"You're going to listen to that crazy old man?" he yelled. "You yourself said he was a liar." Smoke started to say something, sighed, then shrugged. Sub-Zero scowled, feeling the anger roll over him like a spreading fire. "My brother would _not_ have done something like this," he insisted. "He's being framed. Somebody stole his sword."

"Kuai Liang-"

"He wouldn't have just left it here!" he yelled. "It's priceless to our family. He knew that as well as I did."

"What if he was mortally wounded here?" Smoke countered. "What if his body is in that pile? And that fisherman and his family. They knew us. How would they have known us if they hadn't seen us before? That man called us butchers."

"You knew Bi-han! He was your friend. You know he wouldn't have killed helpless women and children. You know he would've buried these people. He may have hated them, but he wouldn't have left them to the wild animals."

"He would've if he was trying to curse them somehow."

Sub-Zero whipped around and stalked towards his friend, encroaching him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know as well as I do what it means." Smoke met his friend's expectant gaze, initially refusing to elaborate, but finally giving in. "They were our mortal enemies. Maybe he left them like this to make sure that their souls never find peace."

Sub-Zero breathed deeply and acted as if he were going to walk away. But unexpectedly, he whirled around and punched Smoke squarely in the jaw. The other fell backwards into a tree and hit his head, but immediately sprang back and tackled the younger warrior. The two began wrestling in the dirt. Sub-Zero blindly punched at his friend's face. Smoke, clearly not wanting to fight, deflected them. He struggled to pin his friend, who enraged, was stronger than normal.

"My friend, calm yourself!" he cried.

But Sub-Zero was having none of it. He clawed at Smoke's wrists, but the other kicked him in the groin. Sudden fire exploded from his crotch and stole his breath away. Groaning in pain and gasping for air, he was distracted long enough for Smoke to put him in a headlock and pin him to the ground.

"Get off of me!" he yelled, but Smoke clamped down harder. He started to feel woozy.

"You're not the only one who knows how to knock a person out," the other said firmly as Sub-Zero's vision blurred. In a matter of seconds, darkness overtook him.

When he regained consciousness, dawn was breaking and he was tied to a tree by the remains of the Shirai Ryu temple. In the distance, where they had made the grisly discovery, a tall column of smoke billowed into the air; Smoke, superstitious about the afterlife, was probably burning the bodies to ensure their eternal rest. In the light of day, the remains of the village were more apparent. He saw the ruins of huts burned all around him. Dried blood stained many tree trunks. But he still couldn't bring himself to believe that his brother had been responsible for the carnage.

"Oh, good, you're awake," Tomas said from the nearby staircase. His friend had dark circles around his eyes, not from their fight, but from exhaustion.

"Untie me," Kuai Liang ordered.

"First, let's talk. We're assassins. It's not outside the realm of possibility that your brother was here."

"He wouldn't have-"

"Shut up," the other snapped. "I'm sickened by this too. But we _are_ killers. Bi-han was a killer."

"But we're not mass murderers," he argued.

"One life or a hundred," Tomas sighed. "Is there really a difference?"

Kuai Liang started to argue, but stopped. "We have to get to the bottom of this," he said. "I have to know for sure."

"And if we do, and you find out he did slaughter all these people, what then? Will that change anything?"

"Yeah, it will!" he yelled.

"How so?"

"If my brother could do such a thing, if he could butcher women and children, civilians…that makes him evil. Evil, like our father. And if he's evil, then I could be too. Look what I did to that boy." He surprised himself when he said that.

Smoke rubbed his face in his palms tiredly. "I think evil is a choice, Kuai Liang," he stated. "When you killed Oscar, you were defending yourself. You didn't go out looking to hurt him. On the contrary, he went looking to hurt you."

"It doesn't make him any less dead."

"Kuai Liang-"

"I have to know, Tomas," he repeated urgently. "I have to know what happened here."

Smoke sighed. "Fine. I'm with you. What do you want to do?"

"When Cyrax and Sektor came back to the temple and told us Bi-han was dead, they said something about failing to assassinate Shang Tsung at the tournament. I got the feeling my brother was at this tournament as well."

"Shang Tsung will be in Outworld by now, I'm guessing," the other said as he knelt by his friend and started untying the rope that secured him. "Maybe we should track him down and make him tell us everything he knows. You can use the amulet that Himavat gave you."

"Did you get my brother's sword?" he asked.

Smoke produced the weapon from behind his back. It was clean now, with no traces of blood or gore remaining. "Of course I did. I figure now that he's dead, it should go to you."

"Thanks." He clutched it in his hands while grief and anger swirled inside him. Then he slid it into its hard leather scabbard and fastened it to his back.

"Now get up. I want to get out of here. This place…this place is haunted."

Sub-Zero gave him a disbelieving look as he stood and pulled the orange amulet from the pocket sewn on the inside of his blue tunic, the same pocket that housed the picture of him and his brother. "I'm not sure how to work this," he admitted. He looked at it closely but saw no apparent catches, releases, triggers, or anything that might force it into action, so he handed it to Smoke.

With a cocky smirk, Smoke thrust out his arm and held the amulet rigidly over his head. "By the power of Grayskull!" he shouted.

"Oh, give that here!" Kuai Liang snapped as he grabbed it out of his friend's hands. Then he scowled at him. "What is the matter with you? And where do you come up with this stuff?"

"Remember that year-long stint I did in America for that hit on that senator? Well, I got to watching this TV show there, a cartoon, and-"

"Really?" he scowled harder. "A grown man, an _assassin_, watching cartoons? That's it! You're no longer in charge!"

"Haha, you're cute," Smoke chided. "Too bad Himavat didn't leave us any instruction manuals." He paused then smiled again. "Open, sesame!" he said as he waved his fingers magically over the amulet.

Shaking his head, Kuai Liang rested it flat on his palm and straightened his arm. "Outworld?" he spoke uncertainly. Nothing happened.

"Okay, I have an idea," Tomas began. "It's a long shot and really stupid-"

"Because everything you've tried so far has been so intelligent," he interrupted.

"-but Himavat obviously has a thing for ice and snow," the other continued without skipping a beat. "You saw his house, cave, whatever that place was. What if that amulet only works when it's frozen? Maybe you should try hitting it with some of your icy goodness."

Sub-Zero raised his eyebrows. Maybe Smoke had a point. If he was Himavat, he wouldn't want something that could create portals to other dimensions to fall into the wrong hands. And if he was in fact a sorcerer, it stood to reason that he had the power to put some sort of a charm on the amulet that only allowed a Cryomancer to use it.

"Well, that's not the dumbest thing I've heard you say since we left home," he conceded. "It's worth a try anyway."

"That's the spirit," Smoke said as he patted him on the back.

"Here goes nothing." He closed his eyes and summoned his power to come to the surface, channeling it directly into his outstretched hand. Dense, cold fog wafted from his skin like a cloud, the heat of the morning making it thicker than normal. The ice in his blood crept out through his pores and bonded to the metal and glass amulet, and as it did, it began to glow. Then, as Himavat's gigantic mirror swirled like a pinwheel, the dragon began turning in the pool of pale orange light, slowly at first but rapidly accelerating until it exploded in a splash of energetic color on the cliff wall. There, an orange vortex twisted violently, spitting out tiny bolts of lightning, and through it, the two warriors saw a landscape veiled by the blackness of night beyond.

"Hooray for our side," Smoke smiled. "And that is why all the girls love me."

Sub-Zero shook his head yet again, frowning and rolling his eyes at the same time. "Let's go," he muttered impatiently.

He led the way, bracing for the same unpleasant ride he had experienced just yesterday. The powerful wind generated by the cyclonic movement battered his face, and shielding his eyes, he stumbled towards the event horizon. In seconds, he felt it; like passing through a gelatinous membrane, first it slurped around him and then it drowned out all sound and air. Then, as if a bungee cable were attached to his waist, something yanked hard on him and ripped him through time and space, launching him at the speed of light towards the world ahead of him. A split second later, it angrily spit him out onto a beach. A half second behind him, Smoke tumbled through with a startled yell.

"Oh, God, that was worse than Himavat's portal," he mused as he rubbed his temples. "Hey, what the hell is this stuff?" he asked a moment later looking at the sand.

Sub-Zero understood what he meant. The sand felt strange beneath his fingers, tarlike, but it was hard to tell why until his eyes adjusted to the overwhelming dimness of Outworld. A towering pagoda burned so brightly on a hilltop in the distance that on this beach several miles away, the two warriors now saw that the ocean was scarlet red and foaming over thousands of dead warriors left from a recent battle. The sand, they quickly realized, was saturated with sticky gore. Around them, even more bodies had been impaled on eight foot tall posts. Close by, a boat reminiscent of a 17th century Spanish pirate ship had run aground.

"Wow. Club Med doesn't have a thing on this place," Smoke remarked dryly.

"No kidding," Sub-Zero agreed as he tried to wipe the sandy blood off his hands. "It looks like there's a path over there," he said. "Let's follow it."

"We need to stick together, my friend," the other declared in all seriousness as they began walking along a narrow path. "We are enemies in a godforsaken land."

That was the last either of them spoke for about half an hour. There was the uncanny sense of danger in the air, and that was reinforced by the dead bodies strewn everywhere. Kuai Liang thought that this place must've been born out of the pages of a cheap horror novel. Bizarre and lifelike statues of tortured men with hollowed out torsos hung on tall crosses along the road. By the occasional flash of lightning overhead – the lightning's source unknown because there didn't seem to be any clouds – he saw thin, twisted vines binding pygmy-looking people inside the gaping orifices. Though dead, these smaller people's eyes remained wild with terror and shock, and he shivered, certain they were staring at him as he walked.

Eventually, the sandy pathway led into an ancient forest that glowed sickly green from somewhere deep within. The ground beneath him was packed down, indicating it had been trampled on frequently, but he saw no other travelers on this road save for a peasant man with a conical straw hat sitting on the side of the road and babbling incoherently to himself. Sub-Zero and Smoke exchanged a look.

"Hello?" Tomas asked timidly. Though he knew his friend would never admit it, Kuai Liang sensed that he was rattled by this alien world. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit he felt the same way. "Do you know where we can find Shang Tsung?"

Without warning, the crazy man flew at him with a maniacal yell. Frothing at the mouth like a rabid dog, he grabbed Smoke by the arms and pushed him to the ground. Then he turned on Sub-Zero, but the latter, who was momentarily stunned by the sudden attack, threw a punch and broke the man's nose. Even still, the peasant barely seemed to notice. He attacked again, and this time the two sparred in a frenzied battle of kicks and punches that lasted maybe fifteen seconds. Finally, Sub-Zero flipped backwards, powerfully swinging his legs upward and into the peasant's chin. As expected, the man stumbled backwards into a nearby tree and then began screaming in terror.

Kuai Liang righted himself and rushed to Smoke, who was now standing again and set in a defensive stance. A crunching sound drowned out the man's desperate shrieks. Squinting, the two warriors realized with horror that the tree was alive. It had a face that looked almost troll-like in the darkness, with a long, gnarly nose and thick, warty lips. It grunted in satisfaction as it chewed on the peasant. Bones snapped loudly and a fine mist of blood sprayed into the air as the man's cries were silenced by one final gurgle. The tree swallowed, then burped loudly.

"_Hovno_," Tomas mumbled.

"You got that right," Kuai Liang agreed.

"What the hell is this place?" he asked.

"I don't know-"

"Intruders!" a high female voice yelled. Both warriors whipped around to face the woman stamping towards them angrily. She wore a skimpy blue-violet leotard and matching knee-high boots and ninja mask. Her mahogany colored hair, which was gathered in a ponytail at her crown hung halfway down her back in straight tresses.

"Guilty as charged," Tomas replied, regaining his spunk.

"You will leave Outworld now!"

"You're going to have to ask nicer than that," he shot back.

She stood about three feet in front of them. "How dare you speak to me like that," she hissed. "Do you know who I am?"

"Should we?" Kuai Liang interjected.

"I am Kitana, Princess of Outworld, and you are trespassing _Earthrealmers_!" She said the last word like it was a swear word. Her dark eyes certainly harbored deep contempt for the two of them. "You will leave now. You are not welcome here!"

"We're not going anywhere, Princess," he said defiantly, taking a fighting stance once again.

Smoke took his lead. "Yes, I'm sure that lovely tree over there wouldn't mind having dessert," he added as he got into his stance.

Kitana narrowed her eyes. Then she quickly ran her gloved hands down her trim legs and pulled a long, wavy piece of metal from either boot. Sub-Zero initially thought they were long knives, but she gracefully waved them before them and both sprang open, revealing large blue Chinese fans. Without a word, she tossed one at Smoke, and it flew at him like a circular saw spinning through the air. It caught him in the chest, and with a startled cry of pain, he tumbled backwards.

Sub-Zero glanced at him as he fell, then quickly looked back at her. Her hard eyes fixed on his, daring him to move. He inhaled deeply as he summoned his powers into his hands and then lobbed a large ice ball at her. With catlike reflexes, she leapt out of the way and landed several feet away, crouched on the ground.

"You're a Cryomancer," she said in surprise. Her eyes were now filled with shock.

"And you just made a huge mistake," he shot back.

Quickly, she cartwheeled towards Smoke and retrieved her fan blade. Then, as if they were extensions of her arms, she swung them both at him and came dangerously close to slicing open his throat. Sub-Zero jumped back just in time, then leaned onto one hand and used his momentum to kick her in the chest. With a grunt, she fell down but immediately sprang back onto her feet, directing a fan at him. He grabbed her fist, but she came down on his shoulder with the other one, which was now closed, and drove it into his flesh like a dagger. He howled, then shoved his palm squarely into her throat. Kitana staggered back, stunned and choking, dropping her fan and clutching her throat. As she struggled to breathe, Sub-Zero yanked the fan blade out of his shoulder, feeling his own blood cascade down his arm, and throwing it to the side. He looked around to see his friend, but he did not see Smoke anywhere.

He faced Kitana once more and saw she was rapidly recovering. Impossible! He was certain he had crushed her windpipe. She cleared her throat one last time, and then seeing the astonished expression on her opponent's face, sneered. "If you want to kill me, traitor, you're going to have to do better than that!"

She leapt into the air to dive-kick him, but something caught her mid-air and threw her to the ground. Now shocked herself, she tried to scramble to her feet, but before she could, a thick cloud of smoke encircled her and gradually revealed Smoke's figure crouching over her. He pinned her to the ground by the throat. Then he raised his fist above her and smashed it into her temple. Immediately, she stopped struggling, unconscious.

"Sleep well, Princess," he hissed at her sarcastically.


	11. Class Reunion

"Are you alright?" Sub-Zero asked as he went to Smoke and helped him to his feet.

"I'm fine," the other replied as he looked down at the perfect cut in his thick gray armor. "An inch to the left, however, and I'd be carved up like a turkey." He scowled. "You see what I mean? They're all she-devils. You should ice her. She ruined my favorite tunic," he grumbled as he ran his hand over the damage.

"As fun as that sounds, I'm not starting an inter-dimensional incident just yet, and certainly not for her," he said.

"Spoil sport."

"Come on," he said impatiently as he resumed his course along the path. He made sure there was plenty of room between him and the trees. "I will not rest until I find Shang Tsung."

"Be realistic," Smoke replied. "We have no way of knowing how big this place is. If it's even close to as big as Earth, this could be like finding a needle in the haystack."

"Which I did," the other cut in.

His friend laughed. "I forgot all about that!" He continued chuckling.

"Laugh it up, but it wasn't funny."

"Well, what did you expect? You beat up Sektor for stealing the candy Xiao-Ping gave to you. You can't just beat up the Grandmaster's son and hope to get away with it. And nothing cures a bad temper like spending three days rolling around in a ton of hay." Smoke nudged him playfully. "When you finally found the needle, you came out of the barn smelling like a yak."

"I lost count of how many baths I had to take to get that smell off me."

"What are you talking about? You still smell like a yak."

"Better than what _you_ smell like," he shot back.

Smoke raised his eye brows, both amused and impressed. "Nice one, Kuai Liang, but you're still a rank amateur next to me."

Sub-Zero started to counter, but suddenly the hair on his neck stood on end. He stopped dead in his tracks and scanned his surroundings as best he could in the darkness. Smoke, also sensing something was wrong, squinted his eyes and glanced around. To their left, the living forest full of man-eating trees stood in ancient silence, waiting for their next unfortunate victim. To their right, a sheer rock wall towered at least thirty feet above them. The eternal night was still.

And then a tidal wave exploded from the shadows beneath the cliff face, caught the two fugitive warriors, and swept them towards the carnivorous trees. Sub-Zero, reacting quickly, gripped Smoke's tunic with one hand while forming a long ice dagger in the other, and plunged it into the ground to stop their momentum. His muscles stretched and burned as the water, as powerful as the ocean tides, swirled past them harmlessly into the forest. Sputtering and choking, Sub-Zero lifted his soaked head in time to see Hydro stepping into view.

"Oh my God," Smoke mumbled as he staggered to his feet. "They found us."

On cue, more Lin Kuei slipped from the shadows and surrounded them, backing them up ever closer to the tree line. They, however, were no longer human. Covered from head to toe in a dull, slate-gray armor, and wearing helmets with wires streaming out the back like ponytails, it was obvious what had happened to them. Like Hydro, they were now fully automated. They were Cyborgs.

"Sub-Zero. Smoke," Hydro began in a voice that sounded like his own but synthesized. "You will return to the Lin Kuei temple to await your transformation." His voice was dispassionate, matter-of-fact, soulless. No different than a computer.

"Any bright ideas?" Smoke whispered to his friend as the other Lin Kuei crowded towards them.

"Run," the other whispered back, taking a defensive stance. "We run into the forest."

"That's a terrible idea," he criticized.

"I never said it was a good idea," he retorted.

"As always, I'm happy to be a part of this plan!" he cried softly as he formed a large smoke bomb with his hand and threw it at the center of the ring. Black, blinding smoke hissed as it grew and spread through the darkness like India ink. Then he darted through two hungry trees while his former comrades continued their approach, seemingly unaffected by his trick. Sub-Zero followed in fast pursuit, turning around just long enough to send a jet of icy energy at the tree line, then watched for a short moment as a wall of ice expanded and grew in the cyborgs' way.

"That won't hold them forever!" he yelled ahead to his friend.

"But hopefully it gives us a head start!" the other called back.

Then, a brilliant orange and white fire exploded immediately in front of Smoke, launching him high into the air with an agonized scream. The shock wave reached Sub-Zero a split second later and knocked him backwards into one of the carnivorous trees. Dazed, he heard it groan in pleasure as it started nibbling on his blue tunic, pulling him backwards. With a disgusted grunt, he faced his palms backwards and angrily streamed his blue-white powers directly into the monstrous tree's mouth. He heard it gurgle and gasp in surprise as it released him and then rapidly froze to death.

"Smoke!" he called as he started running towards his friend. Fire burned the moss and trees around them, illuminating the area but covering it with a dense layer of whitish smoke that stung his eyes. Even with the new light, it was difficult to see. Still, Sub-Zero quickly found his friend half-buried in a smoldering pile of wood and leaves.

Smoke was severely burned, his hair melted into his scalp and his face blackened and cracked. The concussive blast had split his skull, and blood streamed out of the wound in small rivers. Sub-Zero looked down and saw his friend's fingers gnarled like the branches of an old, creepy tree, most, if not all, clearly dislocated. But the worst injury was to his left leg; with the calf half blown off by the explosion, the only thing keeping his lower leg attached was a thin, stringy bit of muscle and tendon connected to his knee. Blood drained out and pooled underneath his body in spite of being partially cauterized in places.

Sub-Zero's heart leapt into his throat, and he immediately pressed his hand on Smoke's thigh just above the wound, pumping a controlled amount of his ice into his friend. He knew that freezing the blood and tissue there was the only thing that would stop the hemorrhaging, but it would also numb what had to be excruciating pain. Then he put his other hand on his friend's head to try to stop the bleeding there, although he didn't dare freeze the tissues this time. It was just too dangerous. Smoke, barely conscious, groaned in labored breaths.

"Kuai Liang," he whispered, holding up his hand so his friend would grip it.

"Hang in there," he said. "I'm going to get you help, but I need you to stay with me."

"Run," he croaked in a raspy voice before his eyes slowly closed. "Leave me."

"What did I tell you about being a ninny?" he joked, feeling his throat tighten up and choke out his own breath. He didn't respond, and his breathing became shallower. "Smoke?" he said urgently as he shook his friend's shoulders. "Tomas?" No, this was not happening. They hadn't come this far only to fail now. Angrily, he hoisted his friend up and flung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He knew the Lin Kuei were rapidly approaching, but he would be damned before he let them win. Smoke was heavy, but he staggered along through the burning trees, determined to escape.

And then, a blur of bright green sped at him and wrapped around him tightly, pulling him to the ground. Smoke fell limply onto a mossy mound with a thud and rolled face-first onto the forest floor. Sub-Zero, stuck like a caterpillar in a cocoon, flailed around but the net, which was made of some bizarre glowing material, bound him well. A moment later, another Lin Kuei cyborg, this one bearing yellow armor, stepped into view. He tapped a button on his right wrist plate.

"Mission accomplished," he said in that dead, robotic voice. "Fugitives apprehended." Even though there was no soul in his voice, Sub-Zero heard the faintest trace of a Tswanan accent.

"Cyrax!" he cried. It seemed the more he squirmed and struggled, the tighter the net became.

"I am unit LK-4D4," he replied. "You both will be brought back to the Lin Kuei temple to complete your transformation." He knelt beside Smoke, rolled him onto his back, and plunged a tiny, pre-filled syringe into the unconscious warrior's neck. Sub-Zero couldn't be certain, but Smoke seemed to go even more lax than before.

Sub-Zero thought of the explosion only moments ago. Amongst the Lin Kuei, only Cyrax's napalm bombs were powerful enough to do that kind of damage. Suddenly, rage filled him and he flopped around even harder, flexing his muscles and trying to wriggle his hands, which were twisted behind him so that his palms rubbed his back, free. "You did this!" he roared. "It was your bomb that did this to him!" With an enraged howl, he yanked his right hand from his back so hard that a loud pop filled the air and an odd, sharp pain surged through his wrist, but still he could not move.

"Well done, unit LK-4D4," a new robotic voice said as heavy footsteps approached. Sub-Zero craned his neck around to see a red cyborg approaching.

"Sektor!" he yelled as Cyrax bowed to the newcomer and then lifted Smoke off the ground, holding him in his arms like a rag doll.

"For the good of the Lin Kuei," the yellow cyborg said dispassionately before he walked away and disappeared with Smoke.

"Smoke!" he called. "Smoke!"

"Silence!" the cyborg commanded as he kicked Sub-Zero in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

"I swear to God, Sektor, I will kill you if it's the last thing I do!" he growled when he recovered.

"You are too weak," the other responded coldly.

The other Lin Kuei, including Hydro, gathered before Sektor, their leader, in two perfect lines. As he gave them orders to return to the temple, Sub-Zero tried once again to wriggle his hands free, and once again he failed. His left hand rested in the small of his back with his fingers just barely outside his forearm, not exposed enough to freeze the net, and he grunted in frustration. Every second he couldn't get free was that much more time between him and Smoke. He was determined to save him. He couldn't let them automate his friend and for all intents and purposes kill him. Tomas had more soul, more spirit, than anyone he ever knew. He couldn't bear the thought of it all being stamped out.

Sub-Zero inhaled deeply as he tried to compress all the fear, guilt, anger, grief, and concern into a single focal point in his mind's eye, then felt the ice spring out of his hand and shoot completely through his right arm before cutting one of the ropes on the other side. He stifled his cries of pain as he twisted the sword enough to cut even more strands. Warm blood smeared his arm and his back, but his work went unnoticed by the preoccupied cyborgs, and he felt the net start to give away. Then, after the crowd of cyborg drones marched away, Sektor returned his attention to his captive and lifted him to his feet, the break in the net still unnoticed. Human Sektor never would have missed that, but Sub-Zero couldn't complain.

"It is time to go," he said in his monotone computer voice.

Reaching around with his dislocated wrist, Sub-Zero ripped the loose net from his body and then swung the other arm around, gripped the handle sticking out of it, and yanked it out with a wet slurp. "I will never yield," he growled at his enemy before he brought the sword down on Sektor's head, knocking him down. Then, clinging to his weapon, he sprinted towards the main path where he was certain Cyrax had headed with Smoke.

About thirty seconds later, he burst from the forest in time to see Cyrax, still carrying Smoke as if he weighed nothing, disappear through a portal in the rock wall. He headed for it, but about ten feet before he could leap through, he was tackled from behind and knocked into the wall several yards from where he intended. The impact forced him to bite his tongue on accident, to say nothing of the sharp pain that stunned his forehead and eye orbit. He tasted coppery blood in his mouth while goose-eggs formed on his head and face.

Then his assailants, gray-clad cyborgs, gripped him by the shoulders and threw him backwards, forcing him to fall against a wall of different Lin Kuei drones that propped him up. Hydro broke through their small circle and gripped Sub-Zero by the throat, holding him firmly in place while one of the others, a warrior with a taser-like weapon built into his gauntlet, began to shock him. It was as if he felt every nerve in his body vibrate uncontrollably and painfully, but just as he started to lose consciousness, something strange happened. The electric current arched and jumped to the Lin Kuei warriors all at once, not merely shocking them but _electrocuting_ them; the faint smell of singed hair rose in the air, and they all stood in place, vibrating for a long second, before a shower of sparks exploded from them and they shorted out. Then they collapsed, dead. In the distance, a clap of thunder sounded.

Sub-Zero looked around, puzzled at this stroke of good fortune until he saw two men approaching from up the road. He took one look at them and prepared to fight, his powers already surging just beneath the surface of his skin. Though both men didn't seem hostile, he didn't believe it. This place, Outworld, was inherently hostile, and now alone, he refused to take any chances.

One of the newcomers, a tall blond man wearing sunglasses and bearing a tattoo on his chest that read "Johnny," walked confidently but not menacingly. Sub-Zero, however, was more intrigued by his companion, a wise-looking man wearing white robes with blue and gold insignia, a purple dragon amulet fastened to his chest, and a conical straw hat. This person seemed to sense his distrust and raised his arms deferentially as they approached.

"We do not wish to fight you," the man said calmly. Maybe it was his adrenaline rush fading, maybe it was the blood loss, or maybe it was that crushed feeling from having just lost his best friend, but Sub-Zero felt subdued when he heard the newcomer speak.

"Who are you?" he snapped.

"I am Raiden," the man replied. "The god of thunder and lightning."


	12. Raiden's Proposition

Sub-Zero stepped back, frowning. He had heard stories in China about the thunder god, Raiden, but he never took them seriously. They were mere myths. Shaking his head in disbelief, he looked at the wall and saw the portal that had whisked Cyrax and Smoke away had closed. He ran to the spot and started punching the rock angrily, not caring that he was bleeding to death from the hole in his arm, or that he was tearing his knuckles to shreds on the rough limestone. They had come so far! Why couldn't they catch a break?

"Sub-Zero, we wish to speak to you," Raiden said.

"I don't have time," he retorted. "I have to go back. I have to save Smoke."

"It is too late for him," the other said.

"No, it's not!" he stubbornly insisted. "I'm _not_ giving up on him." Sub-Zero shot him a dirty look before he pulled Himavat's amulet from inside his tunic and held it in his outstretched palm. Raiden's sky-blue eyes widened in surprise.

"Where did you get that?" he demanded to know.

"From me," a voice said followed by a faint whooshing sound like the noise of river whitewater. Sub-Zero looked to his left and saw Himavat standing beside him.

"Lord Himavat," Raiden said in respectful awe as he kneeled, pulling his companion to the ground with him.

"Lord?" Sub-Zero repeated.

Himavat smiled as he grabbed the young warrior's bloodied arm and examined it. "That's right," he said knowingly. "Well, your kori sword still needs work, but bravo for maiming your arm to escape. That's what _I_ call taking one for the team. Your will to survive is strong." He squeezed the wound and pumped healing ice into his arm. Instantly, the hole started closing up.

"Who are you?" he hissed as the old man worked his magic.

"You will speak more respectfully to Lord Himavat," Raiden scolded. "He is an Elder God, the God of Water."

Himavat waved his free hand at Raiden. "Yes, yes," he said impatiently. "Will you get up already? You know I hate that." Raiden bowed his head then climbed to his feet.

"You're a god?" Sub-Zero asked in disbelief. "You said you were a sorcerer."

"Yes, and what is a god but a sorcerer whose magic breathes life into existence?"

"I can't believe this! You lied to us."

"I did no such thing. You never asked if I was a god." He grabbed his other hand and popped his dislocated wrist back into place. Sub-Zero stifled his yell of pain as more ice chilled the wound.

"You have to help me. They took Smoke," he said a moment later, cringing.

"I know."

"So help me."

"I can't."

"Can't, or won't?" he hissed.

"_Can't_," the other reiterated as the other two men joined them. "My nephew, Raiden, is right. Tomas can't be helped."

"You helped us once," Sub-Zero insisted.

"Yes, and what did I tell you then? That you used your get-out-of-jail free cards, so _be careful_."

"I thought that was for healing us."

"You thought wrong."

"Then for what?"

"Tomas died in that landslide. But your heartfelt prayer for him moved me to do something foolish. I knew you needed him so I restored his soul. I risked catastrophic problems with the space-time continuum because of it, not to mention the other Elder Gods' wrath. The rules that govern the universe are strict. My brother and sisters barely tolerate my hands-on approach with mortals as it is. If I interfered again, the consequences could be devastating for Earthrealm."

"All right, fine. But they're going to-"

"I know. They're going to automate him. It's a living death. But the key word there is _living_. I'm sorry."

Sub-Zero stiffened. "That's not good enough!"

"It is enough that Lord Himavat raised your friend from the dead," Raiden interjected. "He shouldn't have done that."

"Well, I have a soft spot for these boys," the Elder God said to him.

"Your soft spot might have devastated the balance of the universe," he criticized.

Himavat laughed softly and looked at the young Cryomancer. "See! Even my nephew is concerned by my choices! Of course, _he's_ one to talk. He would do the same for the mortals he cares about."

"If this is to be Smoke's fate, then you should've let him die in the landslide. Death is better than this," Sub-Zero declared. That strangling pain was creeping back into his throat. He wanted to punch something, and punch it until he was numb inside. Instead, he swallowed hard.

"Kuai Liang, I'm a god, not a fortune-teller. Even we cannot foresee all events because the future is always changing. I had no way of knowing he'd meet this fate when I spared him." Himavat winced, then put his hands on Sub-Zero's shoulders. "My son, I would help him if I could. He's very precious to me, just as you are. But I can't." He sighed as he looked him directly in the eyes.

"Then I will help him myself!" Sub-Zero cried angrily as he threw off Himavat's hands. He held out his hand and started to freeze the amulet, but the Elder God grabbed it from him. "Give that back!" he growled.

"No. Marching into the Lin Kuei temple will only get you captured and automated. That will help absolutely no one, least of all Tomas."

"I can't just sit here, waiting for them to come back for me. You know they will. Oniro will never give up."

"No, he won't, and no, you can't. So I suggest you listen to what Raiden and Johnny Cage have to say."

Johnny chuckled. "Ha! An Elder God knows my name! Oh, yeah, I am _that_ awesome."

Sub-Zero raised his eyebrow in disgust. "You want _me_ to listen to _him_?" he repeated as he pointed to Johnny.

"Yes."

"Unbelievable," he muttered.

Raiden stepped forward. "You are one of the best warriors in Earthrealm. I want you to fight on our side in Mortal Kombat."

"No," he said flatly. "I'm on a mission."

"Yes, I know. To find Shang Tsung and force him to tell you what happened to your brother. That's a foolish plan. Better men than you have faced Shang Tsung and failed. Now, he owns their souls."

"No, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm on a new mission to save Smoke."

"Also foolish," Himavat chimed in. "You need answers about your brother. Hanging out with my nephew will help you get those answers."

"I'll get them sooner or later, regardless."

"Yes, you will because I will give some of them to you," Raiden declared. "The elder Sub-Zero died in Mortal Kombat. A warrior named Hanzo Hasashi, better known as Scorpion, killed him. He was the leader of the Shirai Ryu."

Sub-Zero's eyes widened in surprise. "The Shirai Ryu are dead."

"Oh, you're right about that."

"Did my brother kill them?"

"He killed Scorpion. As for the others, I am not certain. There are many things about that entire situation that are…odd."

"Understatement," he snapped. "But if he killed Scorpion, then how could Scorpion kill him?"

"The sorcerer Quan Chi enslaved Scorpion's soul and now forces him to fight for him. But make no mistake. He is very much dead. The bottom line is that Bi-han is also dead. You can't help him. Nor can you help Smoke. What you _can_ do is fight to save Earthrealm."

"Save it from what?"

Himavat patted him on the shoulder. "From Shao Kahn. This tournament Raiden spoke of is not just a silly contest. If Earthrealm loses, it falls to Shao Kahn as a prize. Look around you, Kuai Liang. Outworld was once a beautiful dimension much like your own. This is what happened to it when it fell to the Emperor."

Sub-Zero looked at Raiden. "If you're a god, why don't you stop him?"

"I asked him the same thing," Johnny said.

"Shut up," he barked. "I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Jeez! Take it easy, man."

"Kuai Liang, the tournament was established to protect each realm from outright invasion," Himavat explained. "He must win ten tournaments in a row before he can claim a dimension as his prize. It is the only way to maintain balance in the universe without actively interfering. The gods, but especially we Elder Gods, can't interfere without upsetting the balance of nature. That is why we established Mortal Kombat. I want you to join my nephew, as well as Johnny Cage and the others."

"Why do you care so damn much if I fight or not?" he asked.

"I care because I care about you and all humans. I _like_ Earthrealm," Himavat said. "I've made my home there. I don't want to see it change hands to the Emperor."

"Nor do I," Raiden said. "I'm it's sworn protector."

"You just said gods can't interfere."

"We can't unless directly challenged," he replied. "But I can gather fighters."

"Like me," Johnny added.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sub-Zero scowled. "This warrior – and I use that in the loosest possible way – fights on our side?"

"Hey, I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget," Johnny responded, pointing at the assassin.

"Don't make me laugh," he shot back.

"Knock it off," Raiden snapped. "You're both fighting for the same cause."

"You're assuming I'll do as you ask. Which I won't," Sub-Zero declared. "This does not involve me."

"It involves every-" the thunder god started angrily, but Himavat interrupted him.

"Let me talk to him. There is much I need to show him," the Elder God said. He smiled at the sullen Sub-Zero. "Come."

"No."

Himavat chuckled in amusement. "That wasn't a request," he said as he touched him on the shoulder. Instantly, he felt himself yanked through space-time as if he were a puppet on a string, much like walking through a portal but faster. A split second later, he found himself in a strange, ruined structure.

The building was once massive, made almost entirely of stone walls, at least three times as big as the Lin Kuei temple. Now, many of the walls had toppled over or crumbled entirely. Also like the Lin Kuei temple, this place seemed built into the side of a high mountain; through a huge gap in the far wall, Sub-Zero saw the sharp peaks of a chain of spiny mountains illuminated by frequent lightning strikes and an unearthly red cloud cover. There were numerous holes in the roof of this structure, and in spots the ceiling hung down to the floor with rotting timber and straw dangling out loosely. At least a foot of snow blanketed everything, and Sub-Zero and Himavat stood in what appeared to be a tomb. Large ice sarcophagi with various effigies carved into their lids formed neat rows all throughout the room.

"What is this place? Where have you brought me?" Sub-Zero demanded to know.

"My son, what do you know about the Cryomancers?" Himavat asked, resting his hands on the lid of a sarcophagus.

"Is this really the time and the place to have this discussion?" he snapped.

"Answer me," the Elder God insisted.

Sub-Zero sighed. "Not much. I just know that my father was one, and his father, and so on, going back hundreds of years."

"Several thousands of years," Himavat corrected.

"So?" he asked pointedly as he threw his hands up.

"So, you should always know where you came from so that you can know where you're going."

"Okay, whatever," he answered tiredly as he rubbed his eyes and leaned against a sarcophagus. A hundred different emotions swirled in his heart, making it difficult to sort them all out. Determination to save his friend was at the forefront of those feelings, but when he thought of Smoke, a terrible weight crushed his chest, and he was having trouble breathing.

"Thousands of years ago," Himavat began, not seeming to notice his trouble, "I was visiting Edenia, what Outworld was called before Shao Kahn's rule, and I fell in love with a beautiful woman named Kora. I made her my wife, and together we had eight children. The golems I created as my family in Tingri were modeled after her and them."

"I trust there's a point to this story," Sub-Zero remarked drily.

"Yes, there is. You see, I discovered early on that my four sons and four daughters all developed the ability to control ice. It made sense, really. I am the God of Water, but my favorite manifestation of the element is ice and snow. Somehow, that predisposition transmitted itself to them. But whatever the case may be, they were the first Cryomancers."

Sub-Zero knitted his eyebrows together in puzzlement. "Are you saying-"

"I am your ancestor, yes," Himavat replied with a broad smile. "My children founded this temple you're standing in now. Oh, you should have seen it in its prime. It was magnificent!" He paused. "These are their sarcophagi," he said.

Sub-Zero sprang to his feet and whirled around. "They died? But, you're a god."

"But my wife wasn't, so they weren't."

"Why wouldn't you make them immortal?"

"Because their souls ascended to a dimension of everlasting peace and happiness. Why would I want to keep them here where there is pain and suffering? I visit them often, so it's not like I've spent eternity without them.

"Anyway, my children naturally went on to have their own children, and so on, until there were several hundreds of them. He smiled. "I trained them to use their powers, and they affectionately called me the Dragon of the Ice. Of course, I have many names. Ullr, Boreas, Winter Katsina, Khuno, the Black Warrior, the Tortoise of the North, and at least a hundred more. You've been trying to figure out where you know my name from? Remember your mythology from the opposite side of the Himalayas, young Kuai Liang. Himavat is my Hindu name. It's my favorite."

When Himavat said that, a light bulb switched on in his head and flooded with memories of the Hindu ice god who made his home in the Himalayas. He felt stupid. "Oh," was all he could muster up to say.

"The Cryomancers worshipped me, and under my tutelage, they were Edenia's fiercest warriors, serving the King for thousands of years. But when Shao Kahn invaded, he bribed one of the Cryomancers with promises of power to turn on his clan. While they battled to drive the Emperor out, this particular man, Xing, created a rift within by spreading dissension. He persuaded many of the others to join Shao Kahn, and as a show of good faith towards the Emperor, they exterminated many Edenians, primarily the royal family. Xing himself killed King Jerrod in front of Princess Kitana."

"We ran into a Princess Kitana earlier," Sub-Zero said. "The woman you speak of, was that her ancestor?"

"No, that was her. She's over 10,000 years old. Edenians are mortal, but they age much slower than humans."

"Oh, well, she's very charming," he snidely said.

"Shao Kahn adopted her and has made her into one of Outworld's deadliest warriors."

"She called me a traitor."

"She believes all Cryomancers are traitors because she saw them turn on the family they swore to serve. She never knew how Xing's force assassinated most of the loyal Cryomancers, or how I took the only one who survived the onslaught to Earthrealm to live life as a human. He would have been a force for good until the Lin Kuei got a hold of him. I am, of course, referring to the original Sub-Zero now, Kuai Liang. He was only a baby when Shao Kahn invaded. I gave him to a couple who were having trouble having children of their own. They took good care of him until the Lin Kuei Seekers kidnapped him when he was four."

"So why did he rebel against the Lin Kuei?"

"Because he had repaid a debt he felt he owed to the Great Kung Lao, and of course, the Grandmaster took issue with it. He killed the Grandmaster in self-defense. Of course, you know the rest of the story, and how the Lin Kuei corrupted every single one of his descendants. Until now." Himavat patted him on the shoulder. "You're a good kid, Kuai Liang."

"The Cryomancers who betrayed the Edenians…what happened to them?"

"The same thing that happens to anyone the Emperor finds threatening. After he used them to destroy his enemies, he slaughtered them." He paused. "It is what he will do to Earth if he wins."

"I wish I could help you, Himavat, but the weight of the world is caving in on me, and I don't know what to do about it." He thought of Bi-han and Tomas. "I have to help my brother, and I have to help Smoke. Please, I beg you to send me to rescue him."

"You saw how badly injured he was, Kuai Liang. I fear the only way to save his life _is_ to automate him. Then again, he might be better off dying before they can transform him. Either way, the only thing you'll accomplish by rushing in to help him is your own enslavement. I won't let my grandson do that to himself."

Sub-Zero started at that. As far as he knew, his own father never sought to protect him like that. "Grandson?" he repeated.

"Well, distantly. But _my_ blood nonetheless." He squeezed his shoulder. "Will you fight for your realm? Will you help restore the ancient Cryomancers' honor?"

"I thought you said I needed to help Bi-han's soul. Find more answers."

"And why can't you do both?"

Sub-Zero exhaled loudly then rubbed his eyes tiredly. He thought about Smoke, and felt guilty for even considering Himavat's plea. But it was the sort of thing his friend lived for. He could already hear him now. _I know you're sweet on me, Kuai Liang, but get over yourself already. Go do something more worthwhile with your time_, Tomas said in his head.

"Well?" Himavat prodded.

He thought about Smoke once more, smiled sadly, then looked at the Elder God. "Sure. Why not? I'm already dead to the Lin Kuei, my brother and best friend are dead, and I've got nothing else to lose."

"That's the spirit!" he cried as he clapped Sub-Zero on the back. "Now, let's get you to Raiden. He's going to need you soon."

"Just out of curiosity," he began as Himavat gripped his shoulder, "isn't this interfering with mortal free will?"

Himavat narrowed his eyes. "Only if you told," he replied drily. The young warrior had no answer to that, so the Elder God transported him back to Raiden and Johnny Cage the same way as before. But as they materialized, Sub-Zero saw several unfamiliar faces beside the ones he already knew: two U.S. soldiers dressed in all-black fatigues, an American Indian whose face was smeared in war paint, and two Shaolin monks. His eyes narrowed at them both.

"I know you," he hissed at the monk with a large black hat. "You did this to my eye." He pointed at his scar.

"Oh, yes," the man replied. "I remember you. You're the arrogant Lin Kuei who attacked me on the road to Tianjin. You looking for another lesson in manners?"

"If I recall, I won that match," he declared as he summoned his ice to his hands.

"But not before I gave you a parting gift," he said as he took a fighting stance.

"Okay, you two, put your toys away," Raiden barked at them. Thunder cracked in the distance, inspiring Sub-Zero to stand down.

"Really," one of the soldiers, a blond woman with an angry scowl on her face, agreed.

"Sub-Zero has something he'd like to say to you, Raiden," Himavat declared. The young Cryomancer shot him a dirty look before he nudged him forward. With a deep-set frown of his own, he looked at the thunder god and cleared his throat.

"Raiden, I…accept your invitation. I will fight for Earthrealm."


	13. To Shao Kahn's Palace

"Good," Himavat chirped. "Now that that's settled, I'm off."

"Where will you go?" Sub-Zero asked him. Now that he knew the old man's true identity, he didn't want him to leave. There was so much to be learned from the Elder God, not just about Cryomancy, but himself in general. Plus, after all the loss he'd suffered over the last few days, it felt good to have gained something for once. Now he felt like he was losing just one more thing. He inwardly frowned at all the emotions swirling inside of him. Years of working at suppressing his feelings had been undone in one short week.

Himavat seemed to understand. "Around," he answered cryptically. "But don't think you're getting rid of me so easily." He winked at him. "Now, play nicely with your new friends," he said as he patted his descendant on the cheek.

Sub-Zero glanced at the others. "They're not my-" He was interrupted by the sound of water crashing over rocks. He looked back at the Elder God only to see that he'd vanished.

"Welcome, Sub-Zero," Raiden greeted.

The Cryomancer sighed then folded his hands and bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you," he replied as he glanced around at his surroundings, which had changed from earlier. Everyone was now gathered on the same war-torn beach he and Smoke first materialized on.

"You have already met Johnny Cage and Kung Lao," the god stated as he pointed to the two fighters. Then he pointed to the two soldiers, the blond woman and a monstrous black man who stood well over six feet tall. "That is Sonya Blade and Jackson Briggs."

"Jax for short," the man added. Sub-Zero nodded his understanding.

"This is Nightwolf," Raiden continued, "and this is Liu Kang."

Sub-Zero looked at the Shaolin monk. The monk folded his hands and bowed respectfully. "You defeated Cyrax and Sektor," the rogue warrior said. "But you granted them mercy."

"I did," Liu Kang answered. His English was good, but there was the slightest hint of a Chinese accent in his voice.

"You should've finished them," he said coldly. Liu cocked his head at him in puzzlement, but Sub-Zero offered no further explanation. The explosion Cyrax caused, the one that nearly killed Tomas, blazed through his mind. Of course, Cyrax was just a rabid dog. Sektor was the one holding the leash. If this Liu Kang had killed them both when he had the chance, Tomas would still be with him now. Perhaps even Bi-han would still be alive. Rage surged through him, but he contained it and said nothing. He knew the Shaolin monks did not kill unless they absolutely had to, and it was useless arguing with them about it.

Sub-Zero now looked around at his new comrades. The harsh expression on Sonya's face, which was originally sour like she'd just bitten into a lemon, had relaxed. Her hard blue eyes had softened. She was looking at him with…sympathy? Pity? He couldn't be sure, but it annoyed him slightly. He didn't want anyone feeling sorry for him. He quickly looked away.

"Now that everyone is here, we should return to the Coliseum," Raiden said. He began walking across the narrow land bridge over the bay towards the burning pagoda with his fighters in tow. Sub-Zero took the rear, partly to guard it, partly to avoid socializing with these people. He did not trust them. Not yet, anyway. It was enough that he had agreed to fight alongside them.

Just as they reached the other side, they heard a woman howl loudly. Raiden held up one hand and stopped them in their tracks. A moment later, the group saw a woman burst from a narrow path concealed by a tall wall that led up the hill to the pagoda. Dressed in a skimpy green leotard similar to Princess Kitana's, she carried a glowing bo staff in one hand and a tri-blade boomerang in the other. When she saw Raiden, she made a mad dash for him.

"Lord Raiden!" she cried as a different woman's eerie cackle echoed behind her.

"Jade," the woman's sing-song voice seductively called. "I want to play!" A second later, another woman, this one dressed in a pink and black with a matching ninja mask, came into view. She was followed by a man with glowing green eyes wearing a black and blood-red coat and black pointed boots after the traditional Arabic fashion. The hood on his coat obscured his face.

"Princess Kitana sent me," Jade said breathlessly as she reached the group.

"Get behind us," Raiden told her. She obeyed, taking a spot between Johnny and Liu. Sub-Zero briefly studied her. Her outfit seemed remarkably impractical. Her breasts were nearly popping out of her scandalous leotard, to say nothing of the five inch tall spiked heels on her boots. How did a woman dressed like that fight? He shook his head, puzzled.

The other woman, even more scantily clad than Jade, skipped to them as if she were a little girl. She whirled around for a final flourish, then bowed mockingly at Raiden. "The Emperor requests Jade's presence," she announced in a breathy voice.

"Go back to your Emperor and tell him that she is under my protection now," Raiden said to the woman.

"Thank you, Lord Raiden," Jade said in relief.

"She is not your concern. You do not have any authority in Outworld," the man with the glowing green eyes said, but Sub-Zero thought he heard thousands of voices in one. "You will hand her over or we will take your souls." His voice – voices? – remained unusually calm and even throughout the whole exchange. Sub-Zero's hackled raised.

"Go back to your master, Ermac," Raiden hissed.

Immediately, Ermac vanished in a puff of green ether and suddenly reappeared behind Sub-Zero, bear-hugging him from behind and wrestling him to the ground while the pink-clad woman attacked Jade and the others. Sub-Zero, meanwhile, punched Ermac in the face and pushed him into the sand. He aimed an ice-charged fist at the Outworld warrior, but the other grabbed his wrist and shoved it aside just as an ice ball burst from his palm. The pale blue ball fell harmlessly into the sea, creating a small ice floe in the midst of the bloody water. With a dispassionate grunt, Ermac lifted Sub-Zero with his legs and threw him into the surf.

Sonya, who rushed to her new comrade's aid, fired a pink energy burst at Ermac from a weapon mounted to her wrist brace at as he sprang to his feet, but he calmly waved his hand. It was like he wielded an invisible shield that deflected the blast. Then, as smaller-than-life green skulls sprang into existence around this evil fighter, he stretched his arm towards her. The skulls shot from him to her and swirled around her like a tornado, lifting her off the ground with unseen hands. Sonya cried out in surprise before she started shooting her weapon at him rapid fire to no avail.

"Let her down!" Jax roared as he charged Ermac. The Outworld warrior stretched out his other hand towards the soldier, telekinetically stopping him in his tracks just as he had stopped Sonya. But he cocked his head to the side, and with a subtle flick of his finger, Jax's arms lifted up and the bare muscles began to ripple like water under a steady breeze. The soldier groaned in pain as some unseen force clamped down hard on them. They turned beet red to dark purple to jet black. Just as Sub-Zero rejoined the fight and tackled Ermac around the middle from behind, Jax's arms exploded and rained down chunks of bone, flesh, and blood onto everyone around them. He shrieked in agony as he collapsed into the sand in a heap, blood spurting from his arm sockets like water from a high-pressured hose. Sonya, who had also fallen to the ground when Ermac fell, scrambled to his side.

While she helped Jax, Sub-Zero and Ermac righted themselves and faced off. Sub-Zero threw up an ice clone just as a cloud of green energy shot from Ermac's outstretched hands, and he watched as the effigy of himself exploded into a thousand sharp pieces. As he staggered back, surprised by the force of the subsequent shockwave, the Outworlder dashed at him, bearing down on him like a missile. More green telekinetic energy pulsed from Ermac's black gloved hands and Sub-Zero dove aside to avoid it. As the energy of the attack fizzled out in the cold of the surrounding air left by the Cryomancer's power, Ermac was upon him, flying forward with a well-executed kick. Sub-Zero clenched both fists and sidestepped, blocking the kick to one side and sweeping his arm around powerfully. His expert opponent was fast, ducking his counter-attack and landing on one leg as the other swept around in a graceful arc. Ermac's leg easily caught the back of Sub-Zero's ankles and swept his legs out from underneath him.

Grunting in surprise, Sub-Zero fell but sprang back up as a black fist flew towards his chin. Leaning back just in time, he grabbed the passing forearm and threw out his open-palmed hand to deliver his own powerful blow. Ermac crumpled but Sub-Zero clamped down on his arm and wouldn't let go. Quickly realizing he could not break free, he suddenly leapt up and over Sub-Zero, grabbing hold of his wrist, and landed behind him, pulling his own forearm across his throat. He felt Ermac's knee smash into his spine, and he wilted. Again he grunted, this time in pain as little bolts of lightning raced up his back and down his legs.

Sub-Zero willed his freezing energy to his hands and pulsed out a shower of sleet. Ermac barely managed to shield himself from the icy rain with his invisible shield seemingly positioned over his head, but only at the expense of his hold. Sub-Zero twisted out of his grip, spun around, gripped the knee that had been in his back and tossed his opponent up and over. Ermac twisted in the air like a cat and landed in a kneeling position. With green telekinetic energy flowing from his hands, he knocked Sub-Zero back and fired his tiny vaporous skulls at him. They pummeled him as furiously as large hail, and the Cryomancer covered his face to defend his head. He took a risk, though, and let one psychic skull come through. The fierce blow caused a jarring pain that momentarily blurred his vision, but it was enough. As Ermac moved to take advantage of the hit, Sub-Zero anticipated his movement and countered. His own punch was solid and crushing, knocking his enemy off balance as it lurched uncontrollably to the side. The Outworlder stumbled so Sub-Zero kicked him behind the knee to ensure his fall. A multitude of voices grunted in pain as Ermac collapsed. Sub-Zero threw himself on top of him and clamped his left hand on his throat. Then he raised his free hand. Icy blue energy glowed between his fingers, enveloping his palm as he shoved it onto Ermac's face. The Cryomancer watched in disdain as his opponent struggled against the spreading ice, rapidly freezing into a solid mass.

"Frosty," a voice said as Sub-Zero got back to his feet, panting.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Johnny standing over him. He rolled his eyes. "Shut up," he hissed and looked around. The others had subdued the woman. She lay unconscious and face down in the sand. Kung Lao was busy tying her up. Closer by, Sonya cradled her partner in her arms as Raiden and Liu knelt beside them and looked on.

"He needs a doctor!" Sonya was saying. "I've got the bleeding stopped, but I don't know for how long."

"I can help," Sub-Zero announced as he knelt beside them as well. "I can numb the pain and stop the bleeding until you can get him back to Earth to a hospital." For the second time that day, he touched a wounded warrior and channeled his powers into the injuries. The controlled burst of ice slowly froze Jax's stumps, solidifying all tissues and fluids. The man was clearly still in pain, but Sub-Zero saw his face relax some nonetheless. He thought about rendering Jax unconscious, but if Sonya was the only one taking him home, there'd be no way she could lift him on her own.

Raiden waved his hand and a portal appeared in the air beside them. Sub-Zero felt the powerful wind burst from the event horizon and sweep around him as he and Liu helped Sonya lift her partner to his feet. Jax swayed unsteadily on his feet, but she fearlessly wrapped her arms around him and propped him against her body for support. For being half his size, she seemed remarkably strong.

As the two hobbled towards the portal with the group wishing them luck, Jax faced Sub-Zero, and in a shocked fugue said, "Thanks for icing that son-of-a-bitch for me." The Cryomancer inwardly smiled but said nothing, only bowing his head slightly in response. Then Sonya dragged him through the orange vortex and the two fighters disappeared.

Raiden now turned his attention to Jade. "I sense Princess Kitana is in trouble," he announced. Everyone, whose worries had been completely with Jax, now turned their heads in nosy curiosity to hear what the woman had to say.

"Yes, Lord Raiden. She is to be executed. She sent me to ask for your help."

"Executed?" Liu cried. "But why?"

Sub-Zero raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The Shaolin monk's face said it all. His amber, almond-shaped eyes were wide and wild with fear, and deep furrows lined his otherwise flawless brow. He bore the expression of profound worry. Obviously, the Princess held an important value to him.

"Because she did as Lord Raiden asked," Jade explained. "She defied Shao Kahn and now she is to be executed. They are holding her in the Tower."

"What are we going to do?" Liu asked as he looked to the thunder god for answers.

"I do not like this turn of events, Liu Kang," he replied, "but the Tournament continues."

"But you got her into this mess! She only went to the Flesh Pits because of you!" the monk argued.

"Haokah," Nightwolf began, looking at Raiden. "Princess Kitana would be a powerful ally. Perhaps you should send Liu Kang and another to save her while the rest of us continue the Tournament in Shao Kahn's arena. Then, they could rejoin us whenever their mission was complete."

"I'll go," Kung Lao volunteered, but was abruptly cut off by Raiden.

"No," he said. "I won't risk losing both my Shaolin monks." He looked at Sub-Zero. "You will go with Liu Kang," he ordered.

"I don't think that's wise," Sub-Zero replied. "The last time I saw her, she tried to kill me."

"Are you afraid?" Kung Lao taunted.

"I'm not worried for my own safety," he shot back. "I'm worried for hers." He was completely serious. He _would_ defend himself to the death against her, usefulness to the cause be damned.

"You will be fine," Raiden said. "Both of you, go now. We will meet you in the arena when you are done."

Liu Kang bowed respectfully to the thunder god, but Sub-Zero only half-bowed his head. Reluctantly, the Cryomancer followed the monk, who had started running by this point, up the hillside ahead of the group. When they reached the plateau about five hundred feet above sea level, Sub-Zero quickly realized that the lower altitude was more interesting to look at. Up here, the countryside was flat and barren, with no vegetation and only the occasional ruined building, stretching as far as the eye could see in all directions. A thick cloud cover hung over the land, occasionally shooting purple lightning bolts to the ground and momentarily illuminating it. A few miles away, a vast black palace with towers and spires that scraped the sky stood like a sentry overlooking the damned realm.

"That way," Liu said as he pointed to Shao Kahn's palace.

"Obviously," the Cryomancer replied.

Liu and Sub-Zero said nothing more to each other as the monk steadily made his way to the palace. He quickly found an old road that travelled in the right direction, and trotted on it with his new comrade in tow. The road, and probably all roads in Outworld, was primitive and comprised of packed dirt. More desiccated remains of enemy corpses hung from crosses along both sides as well as the occasional pile of burning rubble. Filthy, half-starved Outworld citizens huddled around the fires in ruined clothes, and they gazed at the two passing warriors with both fear and curiosity. Sub-Zero worried they would attack him and Liu, but instead the people cowered as the two raced by them.

Shao Kahn's palace was remarkably simple to sneak into, and there were only two reasons for it in Sub-Zero's mind: it was either a trap or nobody in Outworld was stupid enough to break in. Either way, both he and Liu only saw a handful of guards dressed in black _sirwal_ pants after the Arabic fashion and carrying large scimitars at their sides. The palace itself was also Arabic by design; as if following ancient Egyptian custom, the rooms were vast with high vaulted ceilings and delicate arches, and were broken up by evenly spaced stone columns plated in gold and etched with strange hieroglyphics. Every now and then, Sub-Zero spotted pedestals crafted out of black rock and polished to a high gloss shine holding effigies of unfamiliar gods or spirits on top of them.

Liu quietly led him to a spiral staircase in what seemed to be a newer part of the palace. The architecture here had shifted from being reminiscent of ancient Egypt to a more modern look, like a medieval gothic cathedral. The stone staircase wound slowly upwards, dimly lit by the occasional torch. Small, open windows looked out on the desolate landscape every twenty steps. Somehow, from this height, Outworld didn't seem as bleak, but Sub-Zero knew that was only an illusion.

Ten minutes later, after leaping upwards three or four steps at a time, the two Earthrealm warriors emerged in a large circular room at the top of the tower. Both glanced around as they panted quietly to recover their breath. Two large, arched wooden doors sat on either side of the room which was broken up by glassless windows leading onto a narrow balcony outside. Stationed against the stone walls between those windows were inhuman-looking suits of armor clutching tall spears in their hands. They were the only guards on duty here.

"I don't understand. Jade said this is where they were holding Kitana," Liu said.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Sub-Zero asked.

"Yes," he answered. "They must've moved her."

"Of course we moved her," an unearthly man's voice said as he threw open the set of doors to their right. A man clad in all black armor stomped in fearlessly. Sub-Zero studied him with narrowed eyes. Though his skin was black, the color of death, and his eyes were white and rheumy, there was something familiar about him.

Behind them, the other set of doors burst open, and another of Shao Kahn's warriors stormed in. This one, a female with skin the color of cocoa, had four arms and stood well over seven feet tall, towering over Sub-Zero and especially Liu. Her body, under a red outfit that barely covered her genitals and breasts, was perfectly sculpted from solid muscle. She said nothing as she trampled towards Liu like a crazed bull.

That left the black-clad man to Sub-Zero, and he started the fight with an ice ball lobbed right at his opponent's middle. As if anticipating the move, the wraith leapt to the side before back-flipping into a tarry portal behind him, easily avoiding the ice. A split-second later, he reappeared behind the Cryomancer and caught him off-guard as he threw a left, right, and left punch all in a row before the fugitive assassin finally leaned back and avoided the next blow. Undeterred, Shao Kahn's fighter threw yet another punch, but this time Sub-Zero deflected the hit and slammed his own fist into his opponent's black ninja mask.

The wraith groaned but quickly responded with a shot to Sub-Zero's gut. Suffocating pain swelled from his belly, and he crumpled slightly as his opponent took advantage of the opportunity, grabbed him by the shoulders, and threw him into one of the suits of armor against the wall. A clattering cacophony echoed through the room as the heavy metal pieces collapsed around him. His enemy charged at him, but he rose up and ran head-down into him, shoving him backwards into the opposite wall, but just as he pinned him, the man disappeared yet again through the oily portal he created behind him. Sub-Zero's hands slipped and started to follow after him, but he caught himself just as the wraith appeared behind him again.

This time, he threw his arm out at the Cryomancer. As if it were a tangible thing with a mind of its own, his shadow, somehow blacker than him, bolted from his body and ran like a freight train at Sub-Zero. It caught the fugitive around his waist, easily lifted him up, and drove him onto the balcony, shoving him over. As the shadow disappeared into oblivion, Sub-Zero caught the strong, wrought-ironwork decoration before falling to his death. Tenaciously clinging to the balcony, he looked up as his opponent stepped to the edge and looked down on him with cloudy white eyes enveloped in cataracts, the eyes of a dead man.

"Who are you?" he demanded to know, trying to build up momentum by swinging his legs steadily back and forth. The wraith seemed to think his question terribly funny, and burst out in sinister laughter. As was the case with Ermac, there seemed to be more than one voice emanating from within.

"I am Noob Saibot," the other replied. "And you are about to meet your doom."

"Not today," the other shot back as he swung backwards, let go of the balcony, and flipped upwards. He breathed a huge sigh of relief as his feet touched the floor once more. Half the time, that little stunt failed in training. Thank God today was one of the days he stuck the landing.

Noob calmly charged him once more, but this time Sub-Zero caught him by the neck and shoved him backwards with an angry open-palmed blow to the face. Quickly, the wraith grabbed the Cryomancer and kneed him in the gut with all the force his leg could muster, knocking him backwards into a different suit of armor. As the helmet from the suit toppled onto his head with a painful crack, Sub-Zero vaguely thought his enemy had supernatural strength, power that far surpassed an ordinary warrior. Fortunately, he had supernatural abilities too.

Fiercely, he lobbed another ice ball at Noob, fully expecting it to miss his opponent. As predicted, the wraith dodged to the side, but Sub-Zero had already fired another ball, this time at the floor where Noob leapt to. Clumsily, the black-clad man slipped on the sheen of ice coating the floor, allowing the Cryomancer time to stand and attack. He leapt into the air, aiming a perfect kick at his enemy as the man stood, and kicking him in the shoulder before landing before the fighter. Noob was stunned but recovered quickly, throwing an angry punch at his face. Sub-Zero caught his powerful arm, spun him around, and delivered his own blow to the man's face. His black ninja mask cracked under the Cryomancer's fist, but he didn't seem to notice and instead wheeled around to punch him the gut.

Sub-Zero gripped his stomach, unable to breath after Noob knocked the wind out of him. The relentless wraith then grabbed him by the shoulders, and suddenly, he felt like he was falling through molasses, if such a thing were possible. Immediately, some unseen attacker started punching and kicking him all over, with invisible fists cracking his bones at various points in his body. Stars exploded in his vision as a hard blow slammed into his left eye socket. He flailed around futilely, frantically trying to hit something but failing. The creature pummeled him as he fell for what felt like forever through the black, sticky goop before finally emerging back in the Tower, crashing headfirst onto the cold floor. Sub-Zero struggled to stand, his body aching from all blows he'd just received, but was promptly punched again, this time by Noob Saibot himself, and he fell once more.

_I've got to end this now_, he thought to himself.

He leapt to his feet, and immediately sprayed a barrage of ice daggers at the wraith, distracting him long enough to punch him across the left cheek before clapping his hands over Noob's cowl where his ears would be. Clearly in pain, the wraith threw a wild punch back at Sub-Zero, but the Cryomancer caught his arm and angrily blocked it with his elbow. Then he slammed his fist into Noob's belly before he whirled around and plowed his elbow into his opponent's jaw with a satisfying crack. Instantly, the wraith collapsed to the ground, unconscious.


	14. A Dish Best Served Cold

Kuai Liang stood over Noob's body and studied the warrior's face for a long moment. He was certain he knew this strange creature, but that was silly. He'd never seen anyone like this in his life, and Noob's black skin and terrifying powers weren't exactly something he could forget. Yet, an uncanny sense of déjà vu nagged at him. It frustrated him.

"What are you doing?" Liu said breathlessly, breaking through the Cryomancer's thoughts as he joined him at his side.

"Who is this man?" he asked. "He called himself Noob Saibot."

"I don't know," the Shaolin monk answered. "He wasn't in the first Tournament."

"I feel like I've met him before, but I'm sure I haven't," he mused.

Liu glanced at him. "He _is_ familiar," he acknowledged. "But we need to go. Sheeva said they took Kitana to the arena."

Sub-Zero nodded and followed the monk out of the tower. Liu led him through the unfamiliar maze, past the unsuspecting guards, to a dungeon tunnel palely lit by the occasional torch. "How do you know your way around this place?" he whispered in the darkness.

"All the Shaolin monks are required to memorize it from diagrams and sacred texts that describe it."

"And who gave the diagrams to the Shaolin?"

"Raiden."

Sub-Zero nodded. It was a wise move on Raiden's part. _Know thy enemy_.He said nothing else as they both wound their way through the tunnel. His thoughts shifted to Tomas, and a surge of guilt welled up in him. He should be back in Earthrealm, staging an assault on the Black Dragon to rescue his fallen friend, not traipsing through a tunnel looking for some Outworld princess he didn't even know or care about. And if not that, he should be hunting down his brother's killer, the undead Shirai Ryu assassin called Scorpion. What was he doing here?

About ten minutes later, they emerged in a subterranean level full of machines, pulleys, and wild animals akin to Earthrealm tigers caged in boxes constructed of sturdy metal bars. Also imprisoned in cages were various humanoid figures; Sub-Zero noted a few men with four arms like Sheeva, five peasants, two dumpy blob-men with glowing jewels embedded in their ribcage and welding goggles over their eyes, and three bald men with a mouth full of long, yellowish fangs and talons for fingernails. A loud but muffled cheering erupted above them, followed by the sound of people stomping their feet. Dust sifted through the ceiling as the basement quaked violently under the tremors.

"This is like the Roman coliseum," he muttered to himself when the swaying stopped.

"Yes, but not as evil," Liu replied. He motioned for Sub-Zero to follow him up a narrow flight of stairs that opened to bright light. Accustomed to darkness, Kuai Liang winced in pain as he shielded his face while his eyes adjusted. When he could see again, he saw they stood in a doorway that exited onto a large dirt oval. Like the Roman coliseum and sports arenas of the modern era, stands surrounded the floor on all sides and gradually tapered out to accommodate more spectators. These benches were packed with Outworld citizens cheering as a reptilian humanoid figure fought with Johnny Cage.

Sub-Zero was uninterested in the fight, however. His eyes rested on a large throne erected in the middle of the arena. A bold move, the action of a fearless man who wanted to be right in the midst of the gladiatorial combat, who wanted a front row seat to all the carnage. He did not worry about the creatures caged below turning on him. He clearly felt invincible. Sub-Zero looked at the man on the throne, surely the Emperor Shao Kahn. His face was concealed by a mask made of bone, but his regal posture suggested pure arrogance.

"Kitana!" Liu cried as he bolted from the doorway. Sub-Zero watched him run towards a woman chained to two pillars. Her head hung in humiliation, but even though he couldn't see her face, he recognized the princess. He chuckled to himself at Liu's brash move. As if Shao Kahn would simply let her go.

Then his eyes caught sight of the people standing beside Shao Kahn's throne. The pink clad woman from the earlier fight stood immediately to his left, and to his right, an Asian looking man with a long, black ponytail and Fu-Manchu beard. Beside him was a bald, shirtless man with pale white skin like a ghost and strange tattoos all over his body. Sub-Zero felt certain one of those two men was Shang Tsung, and sudden anger exploded in his chest. His brother was dead because of Shang Tsung's game, and of Shao Kahn's tournament. As rashly as Liu had chased after Kitana, he stormed towards the throne.

The reptile creature had finished snapping Johnny Cage's leg, and Sub-Zero watched dispassionately as Kung Lao pulled him from the fight.

"Reptile wins!" the Asian man cried. _That_ was Shang Tsung. He was sure of it.

"Shao Kahn!" Sub-Zero yelled as he stood before Outworld's ruler.

"Sub-Zero, what are you doing?" Raiden hissed behind him, his voice mildly panicked. "Stand down!"

The Emperor fixed his dark eyes on the Earthrealm Cryomancer. Even with the mask, Sub-Zero felt his blood chill in his veins. But he stood his ground. He raised an insolent finger at the man, who, this close, was much larger than he appeared at a distance. But he would show no fear.

"I find it interesting how you treat matters of life and death like a silly contest, a contest that my brother foolishly participated in. One of your sideshow freaks killed him, and I mean to avenge him. I challenge the creature known as Scorpion," he growled.

"Nobody makes demands of the Emperor-" Shang Tsung hissed, but Shao Kahn held up a meaty hand to silence him.

"Very well," he said with an ominous grin. "You shall have him. And Noob Saibot."

Beside him, the tattooed white man clenched his fist in front of his face, and two columns of flames belched out of the dirt in front of him. When the orange fire faded, Sub-Zero recognized the black clad man he'd fought in the tower. Beside him stood a man clothed in the traditional Shirai Ryu garb, yellow on black, but his eyes were as milky white as Noob's. When he saw Sub-Zero standing before him, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"What is this?" he snarled. Sub-Zero started. He had heard the voice before, several days ago when it cut through his thoughts, abruptly silencing Bi-han's supplication. There was no doubt in his mind now. This was his brother's murderer.

"I am Sub-Zero," he snarled back.

"Impossible. I killed that man," Scorpion declared.

"You killed my brother," he said. "For that, I'm going to kill you."

Noob started laughing. It was an unearthly laugh, demonic. It unnerved Sub-Zero, but he scowled and faced his second adversary. "What's so funny?" he challenged.

"Your sentiment is touching," the black clad man said. "Touching, but pathetic. Your brother is better off dead."

Rage erupted in Sub-Zero's heart, and he lunged at the pair of warriors. Noob immediately vanished in a pool of black tar, and Scorpion vanished in a whirlwind of fire. Kuai Liang paused and glanced around. Suddenly, something stampeded him from behind, and he found himself face first in the dirt with a mouth full of blood. He charged his fists with ice as Scorpion yanked him to his feet, and he lobbed a ball at the undead warrior, hitting him directly. He watched as the ice started to spread across his chest, but lurched in shock when flames engulfed his opponent and he emerged a second later unscathed.

"You didn't really expect that to work, did you?" Scorpion sneered.

Sub-Zero was momentarily distracted by the shouts that emanated from crowd in the stands. Catcalls were followed by cheers of encouragement from his comrades so loud that his attention was momentarily called away from the fight. Scorpion's leg swept out in a wide, graceful arc, connecting with Kuai Liang's ankles, throwing him off balance. Without even realizing what was happening, he found himself flat on his back, sucking in deep breaths of air that seemed devoid of oxygen, wincing as tiny pebbles from the dirt dug painfully into his back. The subsequent tunnel vision cleared with just enough time to roll away from a kick to the ribs.

Now Noob joined the fight with a palm strike to Sub-Zero's throat. A gurgle escaped the stunned man's mouth when his windpipe was cut off unexpectedly. Keeping his hand in place, Noob lifted Sub-Zero off the ground with a running push. Sub-Zero scrambled for balance midair, but could not find traction before his body was slammed into the stone pillar behind. The concussive force of the impact rattled the pillar. Noob let go of Sub-Zero and grabbed the falling man by his black and blue cowl. When the Cryomancer touched down, Noob jerked his head back, and drove it into the pillar ruthlessly, creating a tiny crater in the stone. A groan escaped Sub-Zero's lips and a small part of him hoped it was over, but his honor and pride would not let him quit. A brutal punch from Noob, however, blindsided him. The crater in the pillar crunched even farther in and a crack extended upward nearly five feet, then with a loud shattering bang, the stone collapsed. Rocks flew in all directions, toppling over Sub-Zero's head in a torrent of wild dust and debris. As the dust settled, Noob stepped back, crossed his arms, and watched his opponent.

"Stay down," he commanded. Sub-Zero tensed briefly as blood wept into his eyes, and then slumped onto his knees as his body swayed, ever so slightly, from left to right.

The Cryomancer looked up at Noob. There was a strange hint of sadness in his opponent's eyes. Sub-Zero recognized then their shape, and the inexplicable way his eyes could change from hard to soft in a split second. He remembered how his brother used to say that often to him when they trained. _Stay down, Kuai Liang. You can't win_. He hadn't meant it, of course. He was merely challenging his younger brother to dig deep within his heart and find the will to win. They had sparred the day before he left on his secret mission.

"I want to go with you," he had told his brother in all earnestness. He hadn't liked the idea of being alone in the temple. He had Tomas, sure, but he'd never been apart from his brother for more than a day. Kuai Liang lunged at him.

"No you don't," the elder Sub-Zero told him as he easily caught his brother's arm, twisted it around, and used his momentum to shove him to the ground. "Be grateful you get to stay here."

"Do you know where you're going?"

"Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"I said don't worry about it," he said, and that was that. He looked on his brother. "Stay down," he commanded. With a cocky smirk, Kuai Liang jumped to his feet and prepared to fight again.

Now, Kuai Liang looked up at Noob, feeling sick. It couldn't be. Yet, the dead black skin couldn't hide the thin scar marring his right bicep. It was an unintentional gift from him; when his brother tried to teach him how to fight with the ice daggers he created, he accidentally stabbed him when he tripped over his feet and stumbled into his brother's arm. He was quite the klutz as a child, much to An Zhi's chagrin, and his brother patiently nursed all his wounds as a result of Kuai Liang's clumsiness.

And then there was the angle of his eye line. It was one of the few traits that set the brothers apart. His right eye was a normal, almond-shaped oval, but his left eyelid raced up at a sharp, straight angle like a hawk's before curving around and meeting the bottom lash line. It was a feature Kuai Liang had never seen on anyone else until now. Noob's left eye was shaped exactly the same way. Disbelieving tears sprang into his eyes, but he refused to let them flow.

"Bi-han?" he mumbled, the sound of the words startling him.

"Yes, Kuai Liang, it's me."

Sub-Zero's stomach knotted unbearably, and he winced as he looked down at his hands. Himavat had been right. About everything. He looked up again. "Why do you fight with the man who killed you?"

Noob chuckled as he grabbed Sub-Zero's cowl and lifted him to his feet. "Scorpion and I are bound to the same man," he explained. "But you should thank him. He did me a favor. He released me from bondage. He released me from the Lin Kuei."

"You traded one master for another," Kuai Liang hissed, trembling in pain. His head split, his vision blurred.

"Be quiet!" the elder brother snapped. "I don't want to remember you being so weak."

He shoved Kuai Liang backwards, and Sub-Zero heard Scorpion's unearthly voice yell, "Get over here!" Instantly, a sharp pain exploded in his back, and he felt his body dragged towards the undead warrior.

Then Noob rushed him while Scorpion struck him from behind, and though dazed, it pissed him off. His brother was dead and damned because of this evil spirit, and the rage over it, which had been simmering inside him like a sleeping volcano, finally exploded in a cataclysmic burst of pyroclastic energy. Boiling with searing anger and hatred, Sub-Zero leapt aside, ripping the kunai blade from his back, and elbowed Scorpion in the neck, crushing his windpipe and knocking him over. The Shirai Ryu assassin coughed and gripped his throat. Immediately, Sub-Zero redirected his momentum forward, and in one easy move he sidestepped Noob, clamped down on his arm, and twisted it around until the bone snapped, forcing him to drop in pain. The Cryomancer planted a swift kick to his temple as he dropped before he faced Scorpion once more.

Unable to get around him, the assassin rushed from the front. Sub-Zero jumped and scissor-kicked him in the face, enjoying the sickening crunch of bones as his opponent fell. He rolled to the side in time to meet Noob again, this time spinning into a kick toward the black warrior's chest. He avoided Sub-Zero and darted towards him again as his younger brother leapt to his feet and sidestepped before he grabbed his brother's cowl and pounded his head into a new stone column. He kept thumping Bi-han's undead skull into the stone even after he was certain his brother was unconscious, unaware until then how furious he felt towards him for leaving him, for dying. Shocked, he let go and backed away slowly.

But Scorpion had yet to be dispatched. Sub-Zero sensed the wraith charging him long before he arrived. He closed his eyes and saw his brother, both as a living entity and dead one. He saw Tomas, a cyborg servant of the Lin Kuei, captured after Cyrax blew him half to hell. He saw his father, that cruel man who ripped his children out of the life of their sweet, loving mother. He saw his baby sister, Sarah, who grew up without her brothers to look after her. He saw Raiden and Himavat recruiting warriors to participate in Shang Tsung's tournament to save Earthrealm from Shao Kahn's invasion. And above it all, he saw Shao Kahn, the Emperor himself, standing over the chaos and death with an arrogant grin plastered on his wicked face.

Something snapped in him. Unconsciously, ice sprang from his palms and grew nearly three feet long. A handle formed in his hand and a cold hilt kissed his thumb and forefinger. With a long, ungodly howl, he thrust the kori sword into Scorpion's chest and ran him through. The wraith looked at him with stunned, white eyes. He sneered coldly, then jerked the sword upward. As expected, his movement slowly cleaved his enemy in two, and he watched in bitter satisfaction as it cut a path upward with a slow, tacky slurp like tape on a vinyl cushion until it broke through the top of his skull. Scorpion fell to the ground in a puddle of thick gore and twitched in the middle of his undead blood, his top half splayed in two.

Trembling, Sub-Zero held his sword before his face and looked at the blackish blood oozing down it and onto his hand and sleeve. Then he scowled and looked up at Shao Kahn. "It is done," he growled, then turned and joined Raiden's ranks. The crowd, which had been wild and loud, was silent.


	15. The Chosen One

Raiden looked at Sub-Zero. "You know he's not dead. Sub-Zero?"

"What?"

"You know he's not dead. Scorpion, I mean. He'll be back."

"I know."

"And so will Noob Saibot."

Beneath his mask, Kuai Liang ground his teeth. His brother would be back. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. When loved ones die, people would give anything to see their family member once more, but never were their wishes granted. Except his was, and it was nothing like he'd hoped. There was no declaration of everlasting peace, no eternal happiness, just the realization that his brother was the walking damned. His head hurt and he rubbed it.

"Raiden," Shao Kahn said in a thundering voice that shocked Kuai Liang from his thoughts, "put forth another warrior."

Kung Lao eagerly glanced at the thunder god, his eyes like that of a little puppy seeking approval. Raiden met his gaze, and nodded. "Go."

"Kung Lao, you will face Shang Tsung and Quan Chi." The two sorcerers exchanged an evil look, the obvious contempt for each other shining strong in their murderous gazes. Clearly, there was no love lost between them. Kuai Liang wondered if he could use that to his advantage.

The Shaolin monk arrogantly faced them and started the match. He was a master of Wu-shu, and Kuai Liang watched in awe as Kung Lao, his old enemy, whirled around like a dancer. It was one of his favorite martial art forms because it was one of the most graceful, marked by sweeping, circular movements and immense power concentrated into compact punches and kicks. As he studied the battle, Kuai Liang felt hypnotized by it, and at some point stopped seeing it altogether, instead seeing his brother leaving the Lin Kuei temple for the last time. "Keep an eye on him, Tomas," Bi-han instructed as he hoisted a black bag full of gear onto his shoulder.

"Two eyes," Tomas said as he punched Kuai Liang in the arm.

The younger Cryomancer sighed and rubbed his arm, glaring at his older brother. "I don't need anyone to keep an eye on me," he stubbornly insisted. "When are you going to stop treating me like a child?"

A cocky half-smile spread on Bi-han's face as he lifted his cowl over his head and fixed his mask into place. "When I'm sure you're not." He gazed at his younger brother for a long moment before he followed Cyrax and Sektor to the old Nissan truck waiting to take them down the mountain.

"You're wrong about me, Bi-han," he said. "I'm not a child."

"I hope so," his brother said back, though his voice was encouraging, not condescending.

"Come back in one piece," he called as the truck rolled away.

"Of course I will. I'm not you!"

And then he was gone, the Nissan having disappeared around a bend and a large rock. It was the last time he saw him alive. What had happened between that moment and now? What had he done that was so terrible his soul was condemned and enslaved? And was there any hope for redemption? Sub-Zero looked at the spot he had beaten Noob Saibot unconscious, but his brother had vanished, having undoubtedly slunk back to the Netherrealm.

"Yes!" he heard Johnny Cage shout, and he realized the fight was over. Kung Lao had won. He glanced over at Cage, whose face beamed behind sunglasses as he leaned over a make-shift crutch. He held his free hand triumphantly in the air.

Kung Lao stood equally proud in front of them, his hands planted on his hips as the two sorcerers limped away under the disdainful eye of their Emperor. "You see, Raiden?" he started just as Kuai Liang spotted the enraged Shao Kahn get to his feet and reach for the victor.

"Look out!" he shouted as the Emperor reached around his head and twisted his neck. With a stunned look on his face, Kung Lao slumped to the ground, dead.

"Kung Lao!" Raiden cried in as much surprise. Then his eyes met Shao Kahn's, white electricity crackling from them and his hands. The Emperor laughed, returning the thunder god's furious glare with a taunting one of his own. "I'll strip the flesh from your bones!" Raiden roared. Sub-Zero and the other Earthrealm warriors all followed his lead, taking defensive stances, ready to fight Shao Kahn.

They would not get their chance. From nowhere, Liu Kang fearlessly tackled him from behind, his face beet red with rage. Sub-Zero relaxed as the Emperor and Liu wrestled around in the dirt, the latter remarkably strong considering he was only half the size of his opponent. He tried to wrap his long fingers around the Emperor's throat, but Shao Kahn held his wrists safely away from his face until he finally threw the Shaolin monk over his head and scrambled to his feet.

Kuai Liang stepped forward to help, but Raiden grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. "Liu Kang challenged Shao Kahn. It's his fight now. You can't intervene."

"What are you talking about?" the Cryomancer snapped. "He thought nothing of tag-teaming us. Turnabout is fair play."

"You _can't_ intervene," the god repeated firmly. "Those are the rules."

"What a bunch of bull-" he started but was interrupted when Liu Kang crashed into them after the Emperor flung him at them like a rag doll. The monk was undeterred, however, as he leapt to his feet and back into the fight.

Unlike Kung Lao, who fought solely with Wu-shu, Liu battled using Wu-shu, San Soo, and Tai Chi Chuan. Sub-Zero also thought he recognized some Jun Fan and Pao Chui. He executed his moves expertly, and fought with the heart of a dragon, but he couldn't compete with the Emperor's sheer, dumb strength. Outworld's ruler swung a hammer nearly the size of the monk himself, and ruthlessly threw it at him. With a sickening thud, Liu flew backwards into an unstable stone column, the crumbling rocks falling in a heap around him. Shao Kahn cruelly laughed as Liu struggled to stand.

"We've got to do something," Sub-Zero said, anxiety rising in his throat. He felt surprised by his own concern. "He's getting killed out there."

Raiden ignored him, but Nightwolf rested his hand on the Cryomancer's shoulder. "Trust in the Spirits, Sub-Zero," he said gently. "They will keep him safe."

Kuai Liang frowned, then brushed Nightwolf's hand away. "That's a sweet sentiment," he hissed, "but this isn't Navajo pre-school. I don't know what fight you're watching, but it doesn't look like anyone is keeping him safe from anything."

"Apache, not Navajo," the other shot back with a half-smile. "And you'll see. They'll give him strength."

"We'll see."

But just as Kuai Liang said that, Liu rose from the pile of rubble like a phoenix. Blazing fury burned in his dark eyes. He looked directly at Shao Kahn before he charged forward. The Emperor extended his leg to kick-stop him, but Liu anticipated this and leapt over it before he scurried up his chest and kicked him repeatedly in the face. From his vantage point, Sub-Zero thought the Shaolin monk looked like he was peddling a bicycle in a high-stakes race between neighborhood children, and he didn't stop for several seconds. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Liu leapt from Shao Kahn's face and landed on the large throne in the middle of the arena.

With his bony mask askew, the Emperor growled angrily and straightened it before he lunged for his opponent. Liu tried to scurry away, but the other caught his foot and threw him like a shot put towards the nearest wall; the monk crashed into it, and the crowd cheered wildly in their Emperor's favor. Some of the spectators leaned over the edge and threw scraps of food at the Earthrealmer while spitting on him and screaming for him to die.

_Get up, Liu Kang_, Sub-Zero inwardly encouraged. He crossed his arms anxiously.

And Liu Kang did get up, undeterred by the crowd's revolting behavior. He met Shao Kahn on his feet, his hands now blazing with a supernatural fire. Sub-Zero was momentarily startled by its appearance, but quickly shrugged it off. It wasn't any stranger than ice, after all. Liu Kang quickly thrust his hands outward, his arms rigidly straight, and a Chinese dragon sparkling orange burst from them and flew directly towards Shao Kahn with its fangs exposed. Immediately, it devoured him in flames and exploded, the force of which knocked him backwards ten feet.

As Liu Kang marched towards him, he fumbled for his hammer and clutched it in his meaty fists. Then he stood and swung it at his enemy. This time, Liu connected a single, fiery fist to it, and the massive weapon split completely in half. A cloud of splinters burst from it as Shao Kahn yelped in pain for the first time the whole fight. Blood trickled from a small gash in one palm, but he didn't seem to notice the wound.

With a furious grunt, he cut through the air with both hands. Immediately, a glowing green spear pulsating with magical energy appeared in his hands. Taking a running step, Shao Kahn threw it with all his might at Liu Kang, who had already anticipated the move and spun around to dodge it. With catlike reflexes, he caught the spear in his own fists as he turned, then used his own momentum to throw it back at the Emperor. The supernatural spear plunged into his firm stomach, instantly bringing him to his knees.

Wasting no time, Liu Kang bolted towards Shao Kahn and beat him in the face with his fists. Sub-Zero saw the unmistakable rage over Kung Lao's murder in the monk's eyes. The Shaolin were supposedly above revenge, but he understood. That's how he felt about Scorpion, and Cyrax. They were only human, after all.

Liu Kang was unsatisfied with the blood now spurting from Shao Kahn's nose and mouth. Screaming maniacally, he gripped the spear and twisted it upward before yanking it out violently. Now the Emperor moaned in agony, but still it was not enough. With a half-crazed yell, Liu struck his chest with a burning fist that somehow melt through Shao Kahn's skin like butter. Sub-Zero shuddered when he saw it, remembering how he'd done something similar to Oscar in Himavat's cave, only he had used ice instead of fire. The flesh around Liu's fist scorched black as it plunged completely through Shao Kahn's body, and emerged on the other side with the Emperor's still-beating heart on fire in its grip. Angrily, Liu ripped his fist back through the wound and kicked Shao Kahn's body to the ground. He was dead. Dispassionately, Liu dropped his heart, now blackened with char, to the ground. It rolled a little, then came to a pathetic stop beside the Emperor.

Sub-Zero and the others watched in dumbfounded awe as Raiden nodded and bowed to the Shaolin. For the first time in the short time he'd known him, the god smiled. It was an expression of both joy and relief, feelings that Kuai Liang shared to his amazement.

"It is over," Raiden declared.


	16. Sareena's Story

Liu Kang's victory over Shao Kahn had left his own teammates in more shock than that which the Outworlders felt, and after the generic "good jobs" and "atta-boys," they returned home in silence. Shao Kahn no longer had a claim against Earth, yet with Kung Lao's murder still so fresh in their minds, they felt no reason to celebrate. Sub-Zero felt the heavy pangs of grief as well, not for the arrogant Shaolin who scarred him years prior, but for his brother condemned to eternal Hell. Himavat instructed him to save Bi-han's soul, but how could Kuai Liang do that when he brother was already damned? He wished Tomas was here. He would know what to do.

Raiden led the Earthrealmers through a portal to the Shaolin temple, and the temple looked exactly how Kuai Liang imagined it looked. Built in a large clearing in the midst of a tropical jungle, seven Buddhist monoliths encircled it like stone sentries at the outermost perimeter, clearly marking the temple's boundaries. Wide gravel pathways began at these towering stone markers and cut through the emerald lawns like the spokes on a bicycle. At the heart of this giant wheel, numerous wooden structures grew out of crumbling stone ones, ruins that spoke of ancient Shaolin history. The monks, all dressed in robes colored yellow and orange, walked around quietly in small groups, if with anyone at all. Sub-Zero decided it was a peaceful place. A good place. And he didn't belong here.

After Liu led them up a stone staircase that tapered from what appeared to be the main building, he whirled around to face his companions. "The men can stay in the dormitories over there," he announced as he pointed to his right. "Kitana, Jade, I think you can stay in the Healers' hut. I'll show you the way. Johnny, you should come with us as well. They can help your leg."

"Why can't Raiden just hit it with some thunder?" the actor asked.

"The thunder god rolled his eyes as Nightwolf trekked where Liu had pointed. Kuai Liang, however hung back. He gazed at the distant Himalayas, the entire length of them heavily shrouded in gray mist as the jungle gradually gave way to them, and he felt a pain rip through his heart when he tried to puzzle out the Lin Kuei temple's location where his brother and him lived their whole lives. He felt so weak, so defeated by the discovery of Bi-han's fate. It was like something terrible just split his soul in two, and then left him to bleed to death in slow agony. He wanted to fight, but what was the use? He was powerless in the grand scheme of things, and he suddenly realized a new and unfamiliar despair stabbed at him the most. It had been years since he last felt this way. In fact, the last time he hurt this bad was the day…was the day when his father said he'd never see his mother again.

Sub-Zero's sudden reverie was not lost on Raiden, who looked at Liu with a knowing nod. The Shaolin monk nodded back and then gripped Johnny by the arm.

"Come on," he said quietly. "Raiden will be along shortly to heal your leg."

The actor looked from Cryomancer to thunder god, seemed to understand, and grumbled, "Fine." Evidently, he was more perceptive than he let on. He allowed Liu to escort him down the wrap-around porch, and Kitana and Jade followed.

"Your face look like it's been run over by a truck," Raiden began.

"I've suffered worse," Kuai Liang hissed, suddenly aware how tender his eye sockets felt. His head still throbbed as well.

"At your brother's hands?" Raiden said pointedly. Sub-Zero shot him a frosty look, but said nothing as he turned to follow Nightwolf. "Sub-Zero, you're exhausted," the god called out in concern. "Things will be easier to work through when you've rested. You'll make better decisions."

The Cryomancer still did not answer, though he knew Raiden was right.

With a young monk's help, Kuai Liang found his way to his dormitory, a tiny room in one of the outermost houses. It reminded him a lot of his room back at the Lin Kuei temple. Devoid of decoration save for a small Chinese Buddha made from brass, it was a fairly spartan set-up. One of the monks had placed a terra cotta bowl full of water and a clean cloth for washing on the floor. Above the bowl, a cracked mirror hung on the wall opposite from the dirty bed. At least it _had_ a bed though, even if the mattress was slightly mildewed with age. The way his back felt cleaved in half, he wasn't confident he could survive the night on the floor.

When the monk left him alone, he tossed Bi-han's sword, still sheathed in its scabbard, onto the bed and then hobbled to the mirror, acutely aware now of every sore joint, sprain, and contusion in his body. _Pain is the mark of a weak mind_, he admonished himself in a futile attempt to mentally drive away the hurt. Gingerly, he peeled his mask and cowl from his head, noting the pair of swollen raccoon eyes, split lip, and broken nose. It bent sharply at a forty-five degree angle from the magenta knob growing from the bridge. He fearlessly gripped it and straightened it into place with a sickening crunch. A jolt of lightning exploded through his face, and he groaned, but it quickly passed. Blood started dribbling from his nostrils.

"That looked like it hurt," a voice said behind him. Kuai Liang's heart lifted and he grinned, unaware and surprised that any joy remained inside him.

"Tomas?" he asked as he whipped around. His spirits immediately fell. Nightwolf stood just inside the wooden door with his arms crossed. "Oh, it's just you," he grumbled as he turned back to the mirror, carefully wiping the blood from his nose.

"Tomas," the Apache man repeated as if he hadn't heard him. "That's your friend Smoke, isn't it? The one who was taken."

"You sounded like him," he explained as he looked down in sorrow.

"The spirits will watch over him, my friend."

Sub-Zero's eyes narrowed. "You keep saying that. A lot."

"I say it because it's true."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he hissed as he angrily unfastened his wrist braces. He groaned a little when the left brace tugged at a large cut, glued to his skin by blood. It slurped when he ripped it off.

"Why don't you let Raiden heal you? Or, if you'd rather, I can make some medicine for you," he offered.

"No. These injuries are good teachers. Reminders of what not to do next time."

"Is that what you really think, Sub-Zero? Or do you foolishly believe that you deserve the pain?"

"Quit trying to analyze me," he snapped.

"Perhaps it is better that your brothers are gone," the shaman announced delicately. His tone was gentle, not malicious, but the Cryomancer still regarded him suspiciously. "Now maybe you can find _your_ own way, and to discover the man who _you're_ supposed to be."

"I know exactly who I'm supposed to be!"

"I don't think so," Nightwolf argued. "I think you've spent your whole life living in their shadows. I think you've always looked to them to think for you and tell you what to do. And now that they're gone, you're scared because you're afraid to find your path on your own terms."

"I feel sorry for you, Nightwolf," he retorted. "You put your so-called wise mind up to sorting me out, and still you managed to come to all the wrong conclusions."

"Did I?" he challenged.

"You did. So was there a point to your visit other than conducting this farce of an arm-chair psychiatric evaluation? Because you've really done nothing but make me angry."

"The Shaolin monks wish to feed us."

"I'm not hungry." That was a lie. His stomach was eating itself as he spoke.

"Very well." Nightwolf paused. "Mediate on what we have discussed. Search deep within yourself for answers."

"Good night," Kuai Liang said impatiently. The shaman stood there motionless, his strong jaw set in a disgruntled expression. But he said nothing more and he left a long moment later.

Sub-Zero glance at the mirror again. _I'm not afraid to be on my own_, he stubbornly insisted to himself. _I know who I am._

His eyes caught sight of a huge gash running from his hairline to his ear. Blood had gushed from it at one point, but now it had slowed to a near standstill, drying in clots and stiffening his short, mahogany hair into spikes. He wiped it away with the damp cloth, wincing as his scalp stung unrelentingly at his touch. When he was satisfied his head wound was sufficiently clean, he rinsed the cloth in the bowl and watched with a bit of shock as the water instantly turned scarlet red.

Then he removed his tunic and shirt to examine the damage to his trunk, and when he did Kuai Liang saw more of the same. His back and chest were topographical maps of bruises, welts, cuts, and goose-eggs. The gaping wound in his back sang in furious twinges of pain that seemed to follow the streams of dried blood issuing from it. Inflamed and red, it ached horribly. _Scorpion_, he inwardly growled. He hated himself for letting that animal wound him like that.

"Never again," he muttered to himself.

"He's deadly with that thing," a sultry voice said. Sub-Zero nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard her, and he whirled around angrily to face his intruder.

The woman – wearing a tight leather bodice that made her breasts practically pop out at the low neckline and a skirt that flattered her pale thighs – laid on his bed with her head propped up on one hand. The other draped itself over her hourglass waist. With smoky brown eyes, she studied him up one side and down the other, and then she grinned mischievously at him before she bit her pouty bottom lip. Kuai Liang recognized her immediately.

"Sareena," he growled.

"You're very lucky," she replied, ignoring his rude greeting. "Few have been struck by Scorpion's kunai spear and lived to tell the tale."

"How did you get in here?"

She ran a porcelain hand through her cherry hair, fingering the stark white lock that framed her round face. "I just sort of…popped in," she teased. Sub-Zero was not amused, however, and when she saw his persistent glare, she sighed. "Oh, all right. There's a lot you don't know about me."

"Understatement."

"I'm going to level with you. I work for Quan Chi."

Sudden rage exploded in Kuai Liang's belly. That sorcerer had condemned his brother to eternal torment. "I'm going to kill you!" he yelled as he raised an ice-charged fist at her.

Sareena chuckled. "Yeah, that's not going to work for me."

With a furious grunt, he said, "I'm warning you. I have no qualms about hurting you."

"I'm a demon, you idiot," she jeered. "I'm immortal. You can't hurt me. Not really."

"I'd find a way."

Sareena rolled her eyes and then got to her feet. Her skirt slid up slightly as she moved, and in spite of his hatred for her he noticed her beautiful legs. She seemed to notice his appreciation because she smirked and then beamed at him as she stepped towards him and rested her small hands on his outstretched fist. With a knowing grin, she kissed his cold knuckles.

"Poor baby," she cooed at him as she massaged his hand. "You're so young."

For the first time in his life, Sub-Zero found himself frozen, a deer caught in the headlights, and he didn't know what to do. He wanted to lob an ice-ball at this woman, but when he tried to force it out, nothing happened. It was as if her gentle hands, the skin soft and pleasant on his split knuckles, disempowered him somehow. He lowered his fist with a sigh.

"That's better," she murmured.

"What do you want?"

"Quan Chi sent me," she answered honestly.

"And back in Japan too?"

"Of course." She slid the washcloth from his hand and with a delicate touch began dabbing at the split in his lip. "Nobody can leave Netherrealm without his say-so. Not me, not Scorpion, not…" she trailed off thoughtfully, her eyes filled with sudden sadness.

"Noob Saibot?" he finished for her.

"Not anyone," she replied, a hard edge crossing her tattooed face. "We're all his prisoners."

"What does he want with me?"

The washcloth found his back and the wound from Scorpion's spear. "He wants me to spin you a story about how your brother murdered Scorpion and the other Shirai Ryu."

A swell of hope surged inside him. Sareena's words implied Bi-han's innocence. But Smoke's voice cut through his rising spirits: _Don't trust that conniving She-devil!_

"Bi-han didn't kill those people?" he prodded distrustfully.

"Not even close. Well, he killed Scorpion. But that wasn't personal. That was business."

"So what happened to the Shirai Ryu then?"

"Quan Chi killed them. All of them. He took his demon army from Netherrealm and butchered them like pigs," she explained.

"So why does everyone seem to think the Lin Kuei were responsible?"

"Because in a way, they _were_. Scorpion was their leader, and when Bi-han killed him, he left the rest of the clan vulnerable to attack. In addition to that, Quan Chi is a sorcerer as you know, and any sorcerer with enough power to rule beside Lord Shinnok in the Netherrealm ought to have the ability to shape-shift. It was child's play for him, impersonating your brother, making his army look like Lin Kuei warriors."

Again, Smoke's voice broke through his thoughts: _Don't trust that She-devil!_

"Why should I believe you?" he challenged. "Why should I believe anyone who'd betray her master?"

"You betrayed _your_ masters," she snarled, throwing the cloth to the floor and backing away. "How dare you take a moral high ground with me? I am not here because of Quan Chi, and I'm not here because of you. I'm here because of Bi-han!"

Unexpected tears formed in her eyes, filling him with pangs of guilt. He'd never made a woman cry before, and he disliked it immensely.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Whatever," she retorted as she wiped the tears away. "You know, I'm risking _everything_ by telling you this. I loved your brother, and I'd do anything for him, but I don't need this!"

Kuai Liang's eyes widened into saucers. "What did you just say?" he asked.

"You heard me." Her damp eyes were now rimmed with red.

"You're in love with Noob Saibot?" he said incredulously.

She scowled. "No, you moron. Not Noob. _Bi-han_."

Kuai Liang wrinkled his nose in confusion. His brother had been gone for several weeks before he'd been killed, but he'd been on a mission. Surely, there had been no time for him to fool around with a woman, and a demon at that, to say nothing of making her fall for him. Besides, the Lin Kuei shunned love and forbade their members from feeling it. To them, it was only a trick the human body played on naïve people in order to lure them into procreating. To a clan of assassins, it was completely unnecessary.

"How?" he mumbled.

"What do you mean, 'how'?" she snapped.

"Sareena, forgive me, but the Lin Kuei do _not_ fall in love. If we ever show any trace of feeling it, the Elders beat it out of us."

Her face softened in sadness. "I don't know if he loved me back. But he took care of me, and that was good enough for me."

"He took care of a demon," Sub-Zero uttered as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "That's great. What _else_ don't I know about him?" He looked up, somewhere beyond the ceiling. "Will someone please tell me why I'm stuck sorting out all of my brother's secrets?" he yelled.

Her face darkened in a red cloud. "Look, pal, you think you're the only one having a hard time with Bi-han's death?" she yelled back. "You think it's easy for me to see Noob doing horrible things in Quan Chi's name, knowing that not too long ago, he was a decent man? You know, Bi-han was the only one who didn't treat me like I was a _thing _to be passed around. He helped me, and now when I see that monster Quan Chi created out of him, I –"

Sareena burst into tears.

With a guilty frown, Sub-Zero stroked back her hair and tucked a red lock behind her ear. "Please, don't cry."

"Before Quan Chi destroyed him, Bi-han made me promise to look out for you," she sniffled.

"Why?"

"He was _fighting_ in the Mortal Kombat tournament. It may have escaped your notice, Kuai Liang, but not everyone who fights in it makes it out alive."

Sub-Zero bowed his head. It _had_ come to his attention. "Sareena, I need you to tell me everything. Please? Start at the beginning. You said that Bi-han killed Scorpion. Why?"

The demon crossed her arms defensively and then sulked as she sat on the bed, all of her feminine wiles a distant memory. He sat beside her and leaned onto his knees, patiently folding his hands together at the middle as he looked at her miserable face. Suddenly, she looked much older.

"It's a long story," she mumbled.

"I've got time," he replied.

She sniffed and looked at him hesitantly. "I was sent to kill him, you know. But he had mercy on me." Her eyes grew glossy as distance carried them away, an expression of deep thought and memory. But then they abruptly snapped back to the present and she sighed. "Thousands of years ago, the Elder God of Air, Lord Shinnok, was corrupted by his own omnipotence, and he waged war against Lord Raiden and Earthrealm. He believed that ruling the newly created Earth would give him an edge over all the other gods and Elder Gods, and so he nearly destroyed it trying to conquer it. After centuries of warfare, Raiden finally defeated him, and with the help of the other Elder Gods, he imprisoned Lord Shinnok in Netherrealm." Sareena paused and looked at Sub-Zero uncertainly.

"Go on," the Cryomancer urged.

"At the time, there was another ruler in Netherrealm, a dark creature with many names. He was pure evil, and he was my original master." She shivered at the memory. "He took joy in torturing Shinnok for thousands of years, and he would've continued tormenting him several thousand more if it hadn't been for Quan Chi's timely arrival. In exchange for power and the promise to rule at the Elder God's side, he swore to free him from his prison. Shinnok agreed, and together they slew my master after a millennium of war. And so he became the Lord of Netherrealm.

"But Shinnok wasn't content with the Netherrealm. He still wanted Earthrealm. Unfortunately, he lost his sacred amulet that allowed him to travel freely and unchallenged through the different realms. Raiden had long ago taken it from him and hid it on Earth in the Temple of the Elements where four powerful Guardians have protected it for millions of years."

"This is all very interesting, Sareena," Sub-Zero began, "but what does it have to do with my brother?"

"I'm getting to that." She rubbed her arms and cocked her head as she looked at him. "The location of this Temple was a long lost secret, and all knowledge of its whereabouts slipped from our fingers. At least until about 500 years ago when Goro killed the Great Kung Lao and Shang Tsung took his soul. Evidently, in the repository of knowledge in Kung Lao's brain, the sorcerer found a map that revealed the location of the Temple, and he sold it to Quan Chi. For what, I do not know."

Kuai Liang thought of Shang Tsung. His dealings with the man had been decidedly brief, but even still, he could tell the sorcerer was diabolical himself. "Whatever he got out of the deal, it couldn't have been good," he declared.

"No," Sareena agreed. "He did not tell Quan Chi the whole truth. He told him that the Temple could be found at the top of the Nepalese Himalayas, buried under a glacier. This was true. But he conveniently forgot to mention the Temple Guardians. My master, Quan Chi, barely escaped with his life. You see, when Raiden created the Temple, he put certain fail-safes in place to ensure no one got their hands on that amulet, and one of those measures prevented any sorcerer from crossing the threshold. However, Quan Chi dug a little deeper and found a loophole. He could send a human in to get it."

Sub-Zero raised an eyebrow. "You mean my brother," he deduced.

She nodded. "Even though he probably didn't know it, Bi-han earned a reputation amongst all the realms as a fierce warrior who could be counted on to get the job done. He had a very specific skill set, and he was very good at using those skills in combat. So, naturally, Quan Chi hired the Lin Kuei to retrieve the amulet. If Bi-han was successful, he promised to destroy the Shirai Ryu as payment." Sareena bit her lip nervously. "But my master is the sort of person who likes to have an ace in the hole. So he double-crossed the Lin Kuei. He hired the Shirai Ryu as well, just in case your brother failed, and promised to destroy the Lin Kuei if _they_ succeeded. He requested they send Hanzo Hasashi, code-name Scorpion, because he had a reputation as well."

Sub-Zero scowled and hopped up in anger. "So obviously, Bi-han succeeded. Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here, would I?" he snarled. "Your _master_ is really something else."

"Hello," she sang in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "He's an evil sorcerer who hangs out in Netherrealm not because he _has _to, but because he _wants_ to."

"Just…finish your story," he hissed back. "How did my brother wind up killing Scorpion?"

"They were fighting over Shang Tsung's map," she explained, "and he just got killed in the struggle. Like I said earlier, it wasn't personal. It was just business."

"But when my brother recovered the amulet for your master, and Quan Chi wiped out the Shirai Ryu on the Lin Kuei's behalf, it became personal, didn't it?"

"Well, you've met Scorpion," she chided. "Did it seem to you like he took the brutal deaths of his wife and son and clan a little personally? Quan Chi completely framed Bi-han, as well as your clan."

"But why?"

"Why do you think?" she retorted. "I just got through telling you how your brother and Hanzo both had reputations for being fearsome warriors. Quan Chi knows, and you really should commit this to memory, that he needs warriors of their caliber under his thumb. The more warriors like them that he has fighting for him, the closer he and Shinnok are to conquering Earthrealm. So he made sure that one clan would fall at the hands of their rival enemies. He knew that someone's murder, be it yours or Hanzo's family, would result in the promise and fulfillment of vengeance. He was right. Scorpion killed Bi-han. And your brother, who had so much blood on his conscience, automatically descended to the Netherrealm."

"So Quan Chi ruined all of our lives just to enslave a couple of fighters."

"Not just _any_ fighters, Kuai Liang," Sareena insisted. "_Sub-Zero and Scorpion_. Two of Earthrealm's deadliest. And now he's after you as well."

"I'm flattered," he remarked flippantly.

"Don't be," she retorted. "He won't quit until you're his slave."

He sighed. "How did you and Bi-han cross paths?" he asked, changing the subject.

"When Raiden found out what your brother had done, he was decidedly pissed off. He made Bi-han go get the amulet. He sent him to Netherrealm where he caused quite a lot of grief, let me tell you." She smiled for the first time since she began her story. Then she looked up at Kuai Liang. "Quan Chi is no fool, and he knew what your brother was after. But no matter what obstacle he threw in Bi-han's path, he always failed. That's why he sent me and my lieutenants, Kia and Jataaka. Your brother was about to march into his palace unopposed, so we were charged with stopping him."

She looked at her boots and fingered a frayed piece of lace gently. "Truth be told, I didn't fight with all my heart. Something about him just wouldn't let me. I don't know what it was, exactly. I just kind of admired his spirit, and how brave he was for a mortal. Who else would march into the Netherrealm so brazenly?"

"I would, if I had to," Sub-Zero shot back.

She smirked. "Well, Kuai Liang, let's hope for your sake you never have to." She pulled her arms closer to her body. "Your brother beat us. There really was no contest. He was truly a superior warrior. But instead of trying to kill me, or even rape me like Quan Chi would've, he spared me and I ran away. Of course, I didn't go far. I knew he might need my help, and I wanted to help him because he'd helped me. You see, I didn't realize how much I wanted to leave Netherrealm until he took my hand in his and lifted me off the ground.

"Then, he got into a bit of a scrape with my master," she continued. "Quan Chi was about to kill him, and I decided I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let that pig destroy the only ray of light in my life. So, I attacked him from behind. Quan Chi is very powerful and I couldn't really do much to hurt him, but I gave Bi-han just enough time to knock him out, steal the amulet back, and escape."

"I bet it wasn't as easy as you make it sound," Sub-Zero drily remarked.

"Well, you're right about that," she replied. "I told you I bought him time. But I didn't tell you that before Bi-han escaped, Quan Chi killed me, and I died in your brother's arms."

"Really?" Kuai Liang said skeptically. "I thought you said you couldn't be killed."

Sareena rolled her eyes. "Not by you. But by Quan Chi, oh yes. But it's not a death like you're thinking. That would've been merciful. No, Kuai Liang, he destroyed my form and banished my soul to the Fifth Plane of Netherrealm as punishment for my betrayal. It is a desolate swampland stinking of human filth and decay, and it is a place where the wrathful spend eternity trying to destroy each other to no avail, and where those full of bitterness and despair lay face down in raw sewage forever. The Furies are the wardens of that prison, and they caught me right away."

Her eyes drifted off once again, and this time they were full of misery. But it fled as quickly as it came, and she tilted her head upwards to look him in the eyes. "They tortured me in ways you can't begin to fathom, Kuai Liang. I wasn't there long before I escaped, but time passes much more slowly in Netherrealm, so what was only weeks for you was eons for me. And every moment I was there, every _second_ those hags dragged their talons through my flesh, all I could think about was your brother. I thought, surely I would endure anything, I would _do_ anything, just so long as I could see him one more time.

"Finally, I found a portal that my master and Scorpion were using to move freely in and out of Netherrealm. One day, I fought off the Furies and I snuck through. When I escaped, I found myself on Shang Tsung's island where the Mortal Kombat tournament was about to begin. Lo and behold, your brother was there, along with his comrades, Sektor and Cyrax, to fight. I, naturally, went to him and wouldn't leave his side for the three days we were there together. But you don't get to hear that part of the story. That's between him and me. What I will tell you is that when he learned he'd be fighting Scorpion, he made me promise to look out for you should anything happen to him.

"And then he and Scorpion fought. Your brother is a mighty warrior, and he'd already bested the man once, but Scorpion was fueled by rage and an overwhelming need for vengeance. Bi-han didn't stand a chance against such raw, blind hatred. Scorpion steamrolled right over him." She paused and blinked back new tears. "I couldn't stop looking at him. He just…laid there in a puddle of his own blood and wouldn't move. I remember…his head was tilted towards mine, and I saw his eyes staring back at me, but unable to see. And the way I felt when I saw he was gone was how I think mortals must feel when they die and their soul leaves them. I just couldn't breathe."

Sub-Zero raised an eyebrow at her. "That's a really sweet story, Sareena, but if you love Bi-han so much, why were you putting the moves on me?"

She bristled in agitation and got to her feet. "Would you have listened to me, a demon slave serving your enemy, if I hadn't?" she hissed. "Men are very predictable, Kuai Liang. They don't take a woman seriously until she busts out the girls for a little show and tell. You all think you're so damn great and powerful, but I can make the most dignified man beg like a dog."

"Then why are you still Quan Chi's little bitch?"

Sareena scowled. "Because there will always be some men who'll-"

She didn't get to finish her thought because a translucent shimmer suddenly darted through the air and catapulted her through the wall. It exploded in a shower of splinters, plaster, and dust. As the air churned angrily, a thick cloud of smoke roiled around Sub-Zero and the shimmering wave in big, lazy swoops. As he took a fighting stance, a figure slowly appeared in view; with black and gray plate armor shielding vital circuits and hosing, and a black helmet with wires streaming from his crown like a ponytail, this man was obviously a Lin Kuei cyborg. Dread filled Kuai Liang because he didn't think he could bear to hear what came out of the assassin's voice synthesizer.

"I am unit LK-7T2," the cyber-ninja said in a computerized version of Tomas' Czech accent. "I am here to capture the Lin Kuei fugitive known as Sub-Zero."


	17. Friend

"Smoke?" Kuai Liang said uncertainly as the smoky cloud dissipated. He didn't want to believe it. Even though he stood before him, his soul imprisoned in a robotic shell of computer circuitry, he refused to believe this was his best friend from childhood. "Tomas?" he prodded.

Sunlight broke through the hole in the wall, casting rays upon Smoke's helmet, shining through the black plastic visor and illuminating his face. Sub-Zero jumped in revulsion when he saw his friend's face. Ghastly white as if leeched of all its blood, Smoke's flesh was devoid of any fatty tissue and pulled taut over his skull like the skin of a long-dead corpse, causing his lips to curl away from his gums as if non-existent. Additionally, his eyelids had been surgically removed to make room for the tiny cables threaded into the exposed sockets, so his eyeballs – the corneas glowing blue like fiber optic lights - bulged out as if in perpetual surprise. Before the Cryomancer could stare too long, a cloud blocked out the sun's rays, and Smoke's face fell back into shadow once more. Vomit crept into Kuai Liang's throat, but he swallowed it.

"You will come with me to be assimilated," the cyborg replied in a voice completely devoid of emotion.

Sub-Zero's face wrenched itself in grief. "My friend-" he trailed off as he held up a deferential hand and stepped towards him.

Smoke, who clearly misinterpreted the gesture, automatically clamped down on Sub-Zero's wrist with robotic movement, violently hyperextended the Cryomancer's fingers, and then jerked his opponent's arm behind his back as the other collapsed to his knees with a pained shout. Surging bolts of jagged lightning coursed through Sub-Zero's arm and shoulder as his friend pushed harder, his old collarbone fracture angrily protesting the exertion. Smoke was stronger than he remembered. Before any of his bones snapped under his best friend's grip, he raised his free hand and aimed it at his opponent. But the cyborg, anticipating his defensive strategy, easily caught his wrist and aimed it at the ceiling just as Sub-Zero lobbed ice from his palm. A subsequent shower of snow fell harmlessly on the struggling men.

"You are weak," Smoke stated. There was no venom in his voice, no hatred, no spirit of competition. Just bland matter-of-factness.

"I'm your friend," he pleaded as the gray and black cyborg fastened a thick cuff to his wrist. "Your best friend. Your _pr̆ítel_." He hoped the Czech word would force Tomas to remember himself. But his supplication fell on deaf ears, and he struggled and grunted in frustration as Smoke snapped the other cuff in place.

Then something small screamed through the air and harmlessly plunged into Smoke's chest armor. In what Sub-Zero could only surmise was surprise, the cyborg released his captive and looked around for the source of the sound just as more projectiles whistled through the air. Sub-Zero looked up in time to see five tiny throwing knives shaped like flames hit his friend with such velocity and force that they knocked him backwards. Stunned, he whipped his head around to see Sareena creeping towards the hut with a hungry fire in her eyes.

Smoke, who recovered quickly, was already on his feet when she crossed the threshold of the broken wall. "Do not interfere or you will be punished," he warned her.

Sareena stuck out her chin in defiance and grinned. "Sorry, honey. If you wanna get rough with me, it's gonna cost you extra." She immediately reached behind her back and pulled out a large sword with deadly teeth forged from its edge. If it weren't made of metal, it might've looked like the jawbone of a dragon. Sub-Zero found he wasn't really shocked to see her wield such a gothic and monstrous looking weapon.

He was grateful for her distraction, though, and as Smoke promptly attacked her with his bombs, the Cryomancer carefully wiggled his hands behind his back until his fingers brushed the metal gauntlets that imprisoned him. He was about to freeze them when a loud, blinding explosion thundered through the air and carried him into a bedpost on the shockwave. With the wind knocked out of him, he coughed uncontrollably until his breathing resumed several moments later.

Then, blinking back tears caused by his fit, he caught sight of Sareena expertly swinging her sword at Smoke's head. His old friend, however, startled him when he demonstrated his proficiency with a new weapon. Eerily silent, the cyborg raised his throwing arm at Sareena and then fired a kunai blade not unlike Scorpion's at the demoness. It caught her in her belly, tearing through her leather bodice like butter, the pain forcing her to drop her sword. With a mechanical hum, Smoke retracted the fiberglass cable that connected the spear to his body. Groaning, she flailed around like a fish on a hook in a frantic attempt to get loose, and she even tried to rip it out, but the black metal blade was embedded deep in her abdomen, so she had no choice but to walk towards her opponent.

Sub-Zero quickly felt for the cuffs. If he didn't break free, Sareena's distraction would have been for nothing. He chilled the blood in his fingers, letting his skin absorb the water vapor from the surrounding air, and then channeled his power into the metal. As expected, he felt the cuffs grow cold as they steadily froze solid with tiny crackles. When they were sufficiently frozen, he mustered all his strength to pry his arms apart, and then sneered in satisfaction when they exploded in a spray of metallic snow and ice that wet his bare skin.

He immediately saw that his escape was not lost on Smoke. While the cyborg continued to reign in Sareena, he aimed his other hand at Sub-Zero. A lemon-sized hatch opened with a buzzing noise on his palm and squeezed out a round, steel bomb only slightly smaller. With a hollow thud like a puff of air through a tube that was followed by a brief shower of sparks, he fired the bomb at the Cryomancer. Before Sub-Zero could react, it hit his feet and exploded in a cloud of black smoke that chucked him into the ceiling like a rag doll as it temporarily stunned him.

With a painful groan, he crashed into the floor a brief second later, blinded and deafened by the blast. Little stars of blue light danced in his vision, but he sensed the bola snare before it reached him, and he ducked to the right just as it whizzed by harmlessly. Mentally mapping the layout of the room from his most recent memory, he immediately leapt to his feet and charged towards his friend with a ferocious roar. Sub-Zero caught Smoke around the middle and tackled him to the ground, vaguely hearing Sareena howl as she, still attached to the cord, toppled over with them. As his vision rapidly recovered, Kuai Liang beat his fists into Tomas' visor, not sure what good that'd do, but hopeful it would short-circuit his friend somehow.

Smoke only briefly tolerated the flurry of fists to his face before a cavity on his chest opened to reveal three small, but fat, missiles that sparked from their boosters. Sub-Zero scrambled away when he realized they were about to launch. He was proven correct a moment later when all three blasted off and harmlessly rode narrow columns of flames into the tree canopy above. They all made little explosions that blew apart the branches high above the ground and rained splinters, shredded leaves, and the remains of small animals onto the ground.

"Kuai Liang, help me," Sareena whimpered as Smoke's chest cavity closed and he sat up.

Wordlessly, the Cryomancer pounced on the umbilical cord connecting her to the cyborg, and gripped it in both hands before he froze it solid. Then, like a twig, he snapped it and broke her free. Groaning, she got to her feet and tugged on the cord that still streamed from her belly. Smoke, however, retracted his end quickly before he fired another smoke bomb at the pair, throwing them backwards onto the grass with a thud.

Now, a shrill, unbearable whine filled his ears, and as Sub-Zero clutched them in his hands, Smoke stood over him triumphantly. "This is pointless," he said, unfazed by their fight. "It is in your best interest to quit struggling. You cannot defeat me. I am stronger than you."

"How do you figure?" the other retorted as the ringing in his ears subsided.

"I have an endless supply of energy to fight," he answered robotically. "I am faster. I can anticipate your every movement. And my weapons are vastly superior to yours."

Sub-Zero chuckled bitterly. "My best friend once told me that it's not the weapons that make a warrior strong, it's his heart." His words were lost on the cyborg. Smoke dispassionately reached down to grab Sub-Zero, the defeated Cryomancer glaring at him in the face, his head held high.

Suddenly, a loud war cry echoed through the clearing as Kuai Liang saw Nightwolf, who was armed with a glowing green dagger, leap from the hut's roof onto Smoke's back. The cyborg toppled into the grass with the blade jutting from his shoulder, his internal mechanisms jammed and whirring angrily as he fell. Sareena used the opportunity to disappear in a magical ball of vermillion fire, and while Smoke was detained, Sub-Zero sprang to his feet and bolted back inside, quickly rifling through the messy, dusty bedclothes to find his brother's sword almost exactly where he'd left it earlier. He was going to kill Tomas. His best friend. His brother. To save him from this eternal damnation, he reasoned with himself in a futile effort to justify it.

While Nightwolf and Smoke sparred in a frenzied blur of hand-to-hand combat, Kuai Liang stalked towards them with his sword now unsheathed. It still sparkled from when Tomas had cleaned it only a few days prior. As he rapidly closed in the distance, he hoisted it over his head, musing that today it felt much heavier than normal. And then when he was close enough to bring the weapon onto his friend's head, tears of mourning streamed down his cheeks, but he hesitated only a second before he chopped through the air.

Time slowed to a standstill as the blade cut the air on its way to Smoke's helmet, and in that time Sub-Zero inadvertently remembered the day they met many years prior.

He had been sitting at a large wooden table in the boys' study hall in the Lin Kuei temple, his collarbone completely immobilized by a special brace that kept his right arm folded squarely across his stomach. He had been trying to teach himself how to write left-handed, but it was virtually impossible, and in frustration he flung his pencil across the room. When it rolled to a stop on the hardwood floor, another boy picked it up and held it out to him.

Kuai Liang didn't recognize the boy. He studied him uncertainly, not sure if the newcomer would be nice to him. The other children, led by Sektor, liked to tease him, especially now that his collarbone was broken and he couldn't train like they could. They said he was a baby and that he didn't belong. Bi-han tried to protect him from their bullying, but he couldn't be with his little brother all the time, so five-year-old Kuai Liang was distrustful of other children and he looked at this newcomer suspiciously.

He was definitely older, and strange. Kuai Liang had never seen a child their age with flowing white hair like the Grandmaster's. It was weird. He couldn't help but stare as the newcomer hobbled to him on crutches, a heavy cast wrapped around his leg all the way from his foot to his hip, and handed him the pencil with a smile.

"Thanks," Kuai Liang said as he took the pencil from the boy. "Are you new here?"

The boy cocked his head in confusion. "I don't…know," he answered in broken English, his dialect shaded with a heavy, unfamiliar accent.

"You don't know?" he repeated. "You mean, you don't understand?"

"Ah, yes! _Understand_. I don't understand."

Kuai Liang nodded. It would help if he knew what language the kid knew. He pointed to himself. "My name is Kuai Liang. What's your name?"

"Kuai Liang."

"No!" he yelped, making the boy jump. He frowned in frustration. His brother said he had a gift for languages, but right now, he wasn't sure why. "_My_ name is Kuai Liang. What's _your_ name?" He pointed to the boy, hoping the gesture would make the kid understand.

"Ohhhh," the boy said slowly. "Tomas."

"Tomas? Your name is Tomas?"

"Yes."

At last! They were getting somewhere. He promptly thrust out his hand and waited for the other to take it. "Nice to meet you, Tomas," he said sincerely. At first, the boy looked at his outstretched palm with uncertainty. But then he beamed, took it in his own hand, and shook it enthusiastically.

"Where are you from?" Kuai Liang then asked slowly, pointing towards Tomas' chest.

"The Czech Republic," he answered, though the word 'the' sounded like the letter 'z.' The young Cryomancer's heart sunk into his chest. He knew absolutely none of the Slavic languages, and since Czech evolved from a very different language than English, they didn't even have anything in common for him to work with. But he grit his teeth, determined to figure it out.

So he smiled and said, "Cool!" Then he pointed to Tomas' leg and said, "How?"

"Sek…Sek-tor?" he said as if he weren't sure he had the name right.

"Say no more."

Now Tomas pointed to his collarbone. "How?"

Embarrassment flooded Kuai Liang. He was afraid to tell Tomas the truth, that his father did this to him to punish him for trying to run away. But the boy looked at him with such gentle, gray eyes that before he knew what he was doing, he blurted out, "My father."

Tomas wrinkled his forehead as the words sank in, but he politely said, "Oh."

Just then, Sektor, Cyrax, Shen, and a few more of the older boys noisily trekked into the study hall. Sektor, who was twelve like Bi-han, took one look at the littler boys and made a beeline for them. Kuai Liang cowered in his seat, but Tomas stood unafraid in his spot and glared at the newcomers as they flocked to them.

"I see the itty-bitty baby made friends with the freak," the red-clad boy chided. "You see what I did to his leg, Kuai Liang? That's what I'm gonna do to yours when you start training again. That is, if you don't run home to your mommy first." His jest elicited laughter from his friends.

"Leave me alone, Sektor," the young Cryomancer whined.

"Or what? You're going to cry? Or you're gonna tell your brother?"

"Yeah, I will, and he'll beat you up for teasing me!" Kuai Liang loyally cried.

"Oh, I'm so scared," the other replied.

"He say leave," Tomas interjected, maneuvering his body between the blue and the red.

Sektor and his friends burst into laughter. Then the Grandmaster's son's eyes filled with an evil darkness as he leaned over and came nose to nose with the white-haired boy. "Listen, freak, you better learn to talk before you start talking to me."

Tomas immediately let go of his crutches and shoved Sektor. Stunned, the red-clad kid stumbled backwards. But when he realized what the smaller child had done, he lunged forward. Right before he reached the newcomer, a new voice cut through the study hall.

"Sektor!" An Zhi barked, immediately prompting the boy to stand down. The older boys looked at the ice-warrior in fear, and then at Bi-han who was next to them, and then hastily lined up in a perfect row with their hands behind their backs and their legs spread apart. Kuai Liang's father paced in front of them in his flowing blue robes, a cold, vacant expression in his eyes. He stopped in front of the ringleader.

"Grandmaster Oniro wishes to see you," he announced in an even but ominous tone. "The rest of you will accompany me to the courtyard. It has been a while since I've made you do push-ups. I think 500 should do it."

"Do what, Master?" Cyrax asked nervously.

"Remove the need to terrorize your own. You are Lin Kuei. You are family. And you will learn to respect the sanctity of your relationship with your fellow warriors." He turned around and walked towards the door, his heavy robes brushing against the floor loudly. "Come," he ordered and the boys obeyed, filing out after him. Bi-han followed.

Kuai Liang turned to Tomas. "Thanks," he said.

"Why…why you don't…_bran̆ se_…no, _defend_ against them for you?" he struggled to say.

"Are you kidding me? Look how big he is!" Tomas cocked his head in confusion, so he simplified. "Big." He gestured to demonstrate that Sektor was taller.

A playful grin spread onto his Czech friend's lips. "My _pr̆ítel_-"

"_Pr̆ítel_," he repeated. "I don't understand what that is."

It was his turn to frown as he tried to think of a way to make Kuai Liang understand him. "Uh…friend?" he finally stated after much hemming and hawing, though he sounded uncertain.

"Friend? You think I'm your friend?"

"Yes! My friend!" he said in excitement. "My friend, you," he pointed to the young Cryomancer's chest, "have a heart bigger." He beamed at Kuai Liang, who returned his smile.

"Thanks, brother, so do you," he said.

And now, twenty years later, as his sword dropped steadily closer to Smoke's skull, all Kuai Liang could think of was the first day he heard the word _pr̆ítel, _and how he'd never hear his friend utter it again. There would be no more bad jokes, or play-sparring. He'd never get to see what Tomas' life apart from the Lin Kuei would look like. There would only be the bitter memory of him killing his best friend.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as the sword fell.


	18. A New Quest

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. Your praise is so kind, and it constantly encourages me to keep working. I couldn't have made it this far without you guys. You're awesome!**

**Also, I know there has been a lot of talk about the tragedy in Aurora, and I'm going to add something to the discussion. Since I'm in Colorado (and was in fact at a midnight showing of Batman not too far away), I wanted to dedicate this chapter to the victims and their families. It may seem like a silly gesture, but writing has always been my way of dealing with pain, and I wrote this chapter to alleviate my anger with that monster and my grief for the loss of life. Therefore, it would be even more silly not to acknowledge them. If any of my readers are one of the victims, or if they are a family member to one of the victims, my heart is with you.**

* * *

><p>Smoke, though distracted by his fight with Nightwolf, must have sensed Sub-Zero's attack because just as the sword plummeted into his helmet, he ducked to the side and the weapon chopped through his right forearm instead. A gray and black limb fell to the ground with a thud. Kuai Liang didn't know who was more surprised by the turn of events – him or Tomas – because as he stood beside his friend with his mouth hanging open, the cyborg looked at the damage stupidly. At the center of the stump, there was bloody bone gushing uncontrollably, and around it, severed wires sparked and dangled from the amputation. It didn't seem to hurt Tomas, however, because he calmly pressed some buttons on his chest, which prompted blue-white fire to emit from his other hand, and waved the built-in torch over the wound to cauterize it. The charred smell of burning flesh and smoke wafted through the air, but Sub-Zero and Nightwolf did not flinch at the disgusting aroma.<p>

"Sub-Zero! Nightwolf!" the Cryomancer heard Liu Kang shout. He turned his head towards the path to see the monk running towards them with Johnny Cage, Jade, and Kitana. Smoke obviously didn't like his odds while wounded because when he saw them, he disappeared in his usual vaporous shimmer and bolted towards the trees. Sub-Zero immediately took off after him, still clutching his sword.

"Wait!" Nightwolf cried, but the other ignored him.

Smoke was faster now, but Kuai Liang kept the distance between them close as he sprinted for a solid mile. In spite of the dense jungle foliage, neither man disturbed much of the terrain, their training in stealth and invisibility instinctively kicking in. Kuai Liang's light footfalls on the damp ground made no impression in the dirt, and they made little sound as well. Somehow, Tomas's robotic feet also made no tracks, so it rapidly became difficult to follow the cyborg. When an ancient rubber tree as wide around as a yurt blocked the distortion in the air from Kuai Liang's view, he lost his friend completely.

He roared in frustration as he punched the tree with his fist.

"I'm curious to know what you were going to do with him when you caught him," Himavat stated as he stepped from behind the tree and rested his hand on his descendant's shoulder. Sub-Zero immediately threw the hand off.

"Fix him," he retorted flatly.

"How? The damage has already been done."

"You don't know that!" he snapped. "Maybe I can reprogram him." He straightened and started stomping back to the Shaolin temple. "I'm not giving up on him."

"He's been programmed to capture you."

"Yeah, I got that. Thanks."

"He won't stop until he's succeeded."

"Undoubtedly."

"So what do you plan on doing about it?"

"Not let him. And maybe next time I see him, I'll be able to capture him. Save him."

"Your brother still needs saved as well."

Kuai Liang stopped in his tracks and inhaled deeply. Then he faced the Elder God. "My brother's soul is damned. What exactly do you think _I'm _going to be able to do about it?"

"He's not beyond your help, my son."

"Did you know what Quan Chi did to him?" he muttered quietly.

"I suspected."

"You're an Elder God, and you didn't _know _for sure?"

"My brother, Shinnok, has become quite adept at concealing the affairs of that cursed plain, Netherrealm. Even still, I made an educated guess. I had hoped I was wrong, but-"

"But you weren't."

"I'm sorry, my son." He patted Kuai Liang's back once more. "Please, sit for a minute."

"I have to go," the Cryomancer replied quickly.

"Won't you indulge an old man for a moment?"

Sub-Zero bit his lip and frowned, but he reluctantly conceded and sat on a gnarly old tree branch that was as wide as a bench. Himavat plopped down beside him. For the longest moment, no words passed between them, and in that time, he became acutely aware of how exhausted he felt. Then there was the overwhelming helplessness that angrily gnawed at his heart, and the desperation that accompanied it. Yet the worst part was how the Elder God seemed to understand but didn't say anything, and instead just patted his hand reassuringly like a father.

"I'm all alone," he mumbled in bitter resignation.

"I think your friend, Nightwolf-"

"He's not my friend. He's merely an acquaintance," Sub-Zero abruptly corrected.

"I think your friend, Nightwolf," Himavat continued, ignoring him, "is right. All of this is giving you a chance to find your own way in life."

"How can you say that?" he replied angrily. "You watched us all grow up, and you say that you care for us. But my brother is dead, my best friend might as well be, and all you can say is that's a good thing."

The Elder God sighed and then ruffled up Kuai Liang's hair. "You're right. I've watched you all grow up. And this is what I've noticed: you have never been _you_. An Zhi stripped you of your name, your _identity_, and replaced it with his own. Of course, he might've been happier with you if he just let you be you, but he was a bully, and he terrorized you, and for that you were afraid to be anything but what he told you to be. And the other children sensed your indecision and uncertainty, and they preyed on you. That is why Bi-han and Tomas always fought your battles for you. Think back, Kuai Liang. Why do you think your brother was always so worried about leaving you on your own?"

"Are you calling me a coward?" he hissed, now furious at Himavat.

"No, I'm saying that how you deal with adversity is how you learn to be a man. And you will never find your destiny if you don't first become a man by facing adversity."

"What are you talking about, you old coot?" he snapped "I'm a man."

The Elder God rolled his eyes. "Physically, yes. Spiritually and emotionally, though, you have a lot of growing to do. I love both Bi-han and Tomas dearly, but they did you no favors by dealing with all your problems for you. And now that they're gone, you can grow. Thankfully, you're a quick learner." He smiled at him. "Being alone isn't always a bad thing. It can be scary, yes. But it's not always bad."

Sub-Zero frowned, but perhaps Himavat was right. If he was brutally honest with himself, he was forced to admit that throughout his life, it was always easier to let Bi-han and Tomas think for him and lead him by the nose. Even their mad escape from the Lin Kuei temple had only happened because Tomas twisted his arm. Maybe it _was_ time to grow up and be a man. He'd already made the decision to help Raiden's little band of misfits, and that decision hadn't proven to be a mistake yet. So evidently, he was more than capable. But a nagging pain still tugged at his heart.

Kuai Liang looked at the Elder God. "But I miss them, Himavat," he admitted. "I think about how Bi-han's never going to spar with me again, and how I'm never going to hear Tomas crack a stupid joke again, and I can't bear it."

"I know. You've known terrible loss in your life, and so I know that Bi-han's death and Tomas' capture are especially painful. They would be awful wounds in anyone, but you feel the sting of pain even more because you know exactly what you've lost. But trust me when I tell you that the pain will grow more tolerable with time."

"How could they do that to me?" he asked, surprised when he said it. He blushed in embarrassment for sounding like a child, but the words flowed from him like water regardless. "How could they leave me?"

"You know they didn't mean to. That if they had a say-so in the matter, none of this would've happened."

"Yeah, I know." Now he looked at his feet. "One of Quan Chi's demons, Sareena, said Bi-han was sent to the Netherrealm because he had killed people in cold blood. Do I have blood on my conscience, Himavat? If I die right now, will I go there too?"

The Elder God sighed heavily. "Yes."

Kuai Liang swallowed hard. "Great." He thought of Oscar, and the way his hand punched through his frozen belly like glass. Perhaps Hell was a suitable punishment for that.

"My son, the good news is that it's not too late. You can save your soul by fighting on the side of good. You've already taken a step in the right direction by joining Raiden's forces. But from this moment on, you have to commit your life to goodness and justice. You've always loyally followed your older brother everywhere he went, but you don't have to follow him down this path." He patted Kuai Liang's shoulder. "Be careful when dealing with Sareena. I don't know what she's up to, and she may have been sincere, but you'd be smart to keep her at arm's length."

"She seemed like she was telling the truth," he said in her defense. "She seemed pretty close to my brother."

"Forgive my skepticism," the Elder God drily remarked.

"I need all the help I can get. I'm alone now, remember?"

"Well, that's not true," he smiled.

"Yeah, I know. Raiden's fighters are there for me. And that's sweet and all, Himavat, but they're not my family. My family is gone."

"Is it?" he said with a knowing grin.

"Okay, so I have you. What's your point?"

"No, not me. I was referring to someone else. You asked me earlier how you were supposed to save your brother's soul. Tell me, Kuai Liang, why did Bi-han hate your father so much?"

Sub-Zero raised his eyebrows. "He always said it was because he hurt our mother." And like a switch flipped in his mind, he remembered his mother. And his sister. "Are you saying-"

"Isn't it great when all the parts of your brain start working together as one?" the Elder God nodded.

"My mother. Where is she?"

"Now how will you learn anything if I give you all the answers?"

"You are really the most unhelpful god in the world," he scowled.

"And how would you know? Are you friendly with a lot of gods?" He laughed at his own wit, but then a grave look crossed his happy face. "Your mother is going to be the key to saving Bi-han. But I'm going to tell you the same thing I told you when I sent you to Japan. When you find her, you may not like what you find."

"And how am I supposed to find her, Himavat? I haven't seen her in over twenty years."

"Where do you think you should start?"

Sub-Zero thought about it. "I guess I'd start in the United States. That's where we lived. Although, I don't know where. What city, what state. Bi-han probably knew."

"He probably did, but that's neither here nor there. So think, my son. Who do you know who can help you track someone down? Someone that may or may not feel like he owes you a favor?"

"Do you mean Jax?"

"Possibly," Himavat grinned again. "What do you know about him?"

"That he serves in the military. I understand that he's in Special Forces." He looked at the Elder God knowingly. "And if anyone has the tools and resources to track a person down, it'd be him and Sonya."

"I'm sure they'd have no trouble finding your mother. So maybe you should go find them." Himavat winked. Then he got to his feet and patted the dirt from his black robes. "Now, my son, I must be going. There's a hurricane brewing out in the Atlantic Ocean, and I need to go alter its course a bit. You, on the other hand, have some business of your own to attend to. And you best do it quickly. There's a storm brewing, and it's not just confined to the sea."

"Seriously, what's with the mysteriousness? Why can't you just come out and say what's on your mind?"

"Because being mysterious is how I get around the whole 'gods can't interfere in mortal affairs' rule," he smiled. "But I have faith that you're smart enough to figure it out."

"Thanks," Sub-Zero replied.

"Oh, and Kuai Liang?"

"Yes?"

"You're _not_ alone. You _do _have me." With that, a whirlpool of water burst from thin air, encircled him, and whisked him away without another word.

With a shake of his head, Sub-Zero trekked back to the Shaolin temple where he found his new comrades helping the monks clear away his hut's wreckage. Johnny, who had clearly been healed of his broken leg, saw him first and swaggered to him with a big grin.

"Hey, look, everyone! Jack Frost is back!"

"I hate you," he muttered, though he felt vaguely amused by Johnny's joke. Though a cocky man, his sense of humor reminded him a bit of Tomas.

"Sub-Zero!" Nightwolf began as the others crowded around him. The Cryomancer made a beeline for his hut as the Apache kept talking. "What happened to Smoke? Did you catch him?"

"He got away," he replied. "He'll be back though. And I'll be ready for him."

"You were going to kill him," Liu Kang said in a sort of disbelief. "Weren't you?"

Kuai Liang ignored him as he climbed over rubble to get inside the building. He quickly found his sword's scabbard where he left it on the bed, and he sheathed his weapon. Then he found his black shirt, mask, and cowl, saw they had been incinerated in the battle, and threw them aside in annoyance. Great, he had no other clothes. Sighing, he picked up his blue tunic, which was charred but otherwise unscathed, and pulled it on. It'd do for now.

"Liu Kang is the victor of Mortal Kombat, and you owe him your respect," Kitana hissed at him. "He asked you a question, and you will answer him." Her dark brown eyes burned like liquid steel.

But Sub-Zero was unimpressed. "Look, Princess," he growled as he stepped from the hut with his sword strapped to his back, now fastening his wrist braces to his arms again. "Let's get something straight. You may have authority over the people in Outworld, but look around you. This _isn't _Outworld. Which means I don't take orders from you. And I don't take orders from Liu Kang either. I will answer his questions in my own time."

Her eyes narrowed. "A traitor's response."

"Kitana-" Jade tried to soothe as she put her hands on her friend's shoulders.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Princess," he retorted.

"I don't know what I'm talking about?" she repeated angrily. "My father _trusted_ your people, and the day he needed them the most, they betrayed him and destroyed Edenia in Shao Kahn's name. They killed my father, and they drove my mother to suicide, leaving me at the mercy of that…that monster!" Her pretty face was rapidly turning beet red. "So don't you _dare_ presume to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about."

"Kitana, calm down," Liu ordered. "Sub-Zero is right. He doesn't owe me an explanation. I am not the commander of this group. I was merely asking as a concerned friend."

Sub-Zero felt soothed by the monk's voice, and he noticed Kitana did as well. He swallowed hard and said, "Yes, I was going to kill him. But can you blame me? You saw what the Lin Kuei did to him. Death would be a mercy to him. It doesn't matter anyway, though. He got away."

Now he turned his attention to the Princess. Jade had interlocked her arm with hers to prop her up, and her head hung down as she looked at the ground in grief. Kuai Liang understood. Kitana was an orphan who'd violently lost her parents and her family, just like him. He couldn't blame her for her rage and hatred. But perhaps he could alleviate it by making a peace offering.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to her. "Many of my ancestors were loyal to your father. Unfortunately, Himavat told me that the traitors murdered them before they could help the Edenians fight Shao Kahn. I don't know if that helps your opinion of me, but I felt I owed it to you to tell you."

She looked up. "You're lying," she insisted.

"He's not," Raiden's voice echoed around them as a blue bolt of lightning crashed into the ground beside them and revealed his form. In the distance, a crash of thunder roared.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she accused the thunder god.

"You never asked."

"Raiden," Sub-Zero began as Kitana's eyes flashed in fury again, "there's something I have to do. And I need Jax and Sonya's help. Will you take me to them?"

"And what, pray tell, is this 'something' you have to do?"

"I have to save my brother. And to do that, I have to find my mother."


	19. 99 Problems, Son

Sub-Zero had heard the term "ride the lightning" several times before, mostly when he studied American colloquialisms during his language classes growing up, but as Raiden teleported him and his teammates on a brilliant white bolt, the phrase took on an entirely new meaning. At the speed of light, they surged through space-time, and they immediately found themselves in a massive underground hangar full of high-tech aircraft. To Kuai Liang's left, Jade moaned sickly. He understood. Dizziness swirled through his head like a tornado, threatening to toss the contents of his stomach on the ground. A groan escaped him as well, but the sound was masked by the clap of thunder that echoed off the rock walls. Woozily, he held his head in his hands.

"Ugh, not cool, Ray-dude," Johnny admonished, also nauseous. "You could've warned us."

"My apologies," the thunder god replied. "My form of travel is quite taxing on a mortal body."

"Go figure."

"Hey, you guys can't be here!" a familiar female voice cried. Sub-Zero looked up and saw Sonya Blade, who was dressed all in black fatigues, creeping towards the group at the head of a heavily armed squad. She too wielded a large pistol, and it was aimed right for them.

"Hey, Sonya!" Johnny waved with a dopey grin on his face. Kitana and Jade rolled their eyes at the same time.

The blond soldier lowered her gun and waved off her back-up. "What are you doing here? This is a top secret military base. You're not supposed to be here."

"Sonya, report," Jax's deep voice barked from a radio on her watch.

She tapped her wrist-comm. "It's fine, Jax. Raiden and the others dropped in for a visit."

"Understood."

She looked at the newcomers. "Well? Is someone going to answer me? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Ask Old Man Winter, here," Johnny said as he clapped Kuai Liang on the back.

Sub-Zero glowered at him, but stepped forward. "There is someone I need to track down, and quite frankly, I have no leads other than that she's in the United States. I was hoping that you and Jax could help me."

She scowled. "You know, we're not 411," she hissed. He raised his eyebrow in confusion. What was 411? But she didn't notice the question forming in his mouth before she sighed and continued, "However, if it weren't for you freezing his stumps, Jax would've bled to death before I could've gotten him help. So I'll see what we can do. Follow me."

"Thank you," he said.

"Don't mention it. But don't think that every time you need a favor in the future, you can just pop into my base without authorization. I was in my rights to shoot you, you know," she declared as she escorted them through the massive hanger.

"But then you would've missed me," Johnny flirted. Sonya wrinkled her nose and gave him a wayward glance. He merely winked at her and then grinned.

Sonya shook her head, a small, barely noticeable smile registering on her face. "You're an idiot," she muttered, but Sub-Zero detected a trace of endearment in her insult.

She led them to a solid metal bulkhead with steel blast doors that were at least six inches thick. Automatically, she punched some buttons on the keypad mounted on the wall beside it, pressed her thumb onto a glowing oval, then stood back as the doors slid open with a hydraulic hiss. Sonya escorted them through, and from there she led them through a maze of corridors. Though clearly underground, white plastic paneling had been installed to hide the rock, and arch-shaped lights evenly spaced apart brightly lit the tunnels. Highly sophisticated access panels were strategically embedded into the walls every fifty feet, and they were connected by thick bundles of fiber-optic cables.

Finally, Sonya led the group into a war room. Like a large movie auditorium, it was dark and it gradually descended towards the front. A massive screen embedded in the front wall showed a map of the entire world in shades of subdued blue. Major cities glowed in dots of gold like pins holding up the fabric of the night sky. Angry red dots, however, blared over the otherwise tranquil image. At rows of computer stations before the screen, men and women in urban combat fatigues clacked away on their keyboards, speaking quietly into their wireless headsets and looking up at the red dots every few seconds. A dull murmur passed between them, and Sub-Zero sensed urgency in these soldiers as they worked. They almost seemed…afraid.

At the top of the war room, Jax stood amongst four space-age monitors that seemed intangible, as if the screens were made of air. Data and moving pictures flooded them, and occasionally he'd touch them. This would prompt new data or images to appear, and sometimes the flick of his fingers would expand or minimize the information he studied. Sub-Zero looked at everything with intrigue. The Lin Kuei temple was downright primitive in comparison. He noticed in mild amusement Kitana and Jade's gaping mouths. As awestruck as he felt, he could only imagine what two women from Outworld thought.

And then he noticed Jax's new arms. They were unlike any prosthetic he'd ever seen. Well, that wasn't entirely accurate, he decided. The Lin Kuei cyber-ninjas had appendages like that, all metal and circuitry. The only difference was that Jax's arms weren't protected by colorful plate armor. Not that his arms needed armor. Thick and forged to resemble muscle, they appeared to be strong and sturdy.

"I should have you all arrested," Jax said gruffly. "You don't just waltz into my base unannounced. What's wrong with you?"

"I apologize," Sub-Zero said, this time not waiting for Johnny to force his hand. "I need your help tracking someone down."

"Oh? Who?"

Sub-Zero appreciated the Major's directness. "My mother," he answered.

Jax snorted. "Aw, that's sweet. You endanger America's national security just for that. I might have to shed a tear."

"That's really cute, Jax," he retorted.

"Let me ask you this, Ice-man. What was wrong with just giving me a phone call?"

"For one, I don't have a phone. But even if I did, I didn't know a number to call."

Jax's face remained a mask. "Well, as it turns out, your appearance might actually be helpful to me," he said. "One of you chuckleheads might be able to shed light on a sudden mystery. You see those red dots on the screen?" Everyone murmured yes, so he continued. "They started popping up about six hours ago."

"What are they?" Liu asked.

"Well, now, that's the million dollar question, ain't it? As best we can tell, they're atmospheric…_disturbances_, for lack of a better word," he explained. "We cross-referenced the information we've recorded with every database we have access to."

"And?" Sub-Zero prodded.

"And we were hoping Raiden could tell us what the hell is going on," Sonya said.

Jax nodded in agreement. "Our readings match what astronomers and astrophysicists all over the world have collected on deep space singularities."

"Which means what in English?" Johnny asked with a confused look on his face.

"Those dots, ladies and gents, seem to represent black holes."

Kitana and Jade had puzzled expressions, but Sub-Zero stiffened just as Liu coughed and Johnny stumbled to the side. Black holes? That couldn't be good. The Cryomancer looked at the screen in alarm. "Are you sure?"

"Unless Raiden has an alternate theory."

"Will these singularities destroy the world?" Liu wondered aloud.

"We don't know," Sonya answered. "Right now, they're not really doing anything. They're just…there."

"This is very strange indeed," Raiden said. "It is possible that Shao Kahn's forces are beginning an invasion."

"But I killed Shao Kahn," Liu protested.

"What about Shinnok?" Sub-Zero suggested, looking at Raiden.

"That is possible too," the god agreed. "I must investigate this further." With that, he disappeared in a bright bolt of lightning.

"So you can see why I can't help you with your little family reunion right now," Jax began, returning his attention to Kuai Liang.

"This isn't some vanity project, Jax," the Cryomancer retorted. "If this in fact is the beginning of an invasion, then it's even more imperative I find my mother. I have reason to believe she could tip the scales in our favor."

The Major narrowed his eyes, but finally nodded in concession. "All right. What can you tell me?"

"Her name is Maggie Sullivan. She was born in Wexford, but her family immigrated from Ireland-"

"Got it," he interrupted as the screen beeped in a positive tone.

"Already?"

"Well, her record is all here. It says her sons were kidnapped, and she insisted a group called the Lin Kuei took them," he stated, giving Sub-Zero a knowing look. "Call me crazy, but that's too big to be a coincidence."

"Indeed."

"Is this her?" Jax swiveled the screen around for him to see better, and an old family portrait came into view. Kuai Liang immediately recognized An Zhi's stern face looking even more severe against the slate gray background, though he was much younger in this picture. In front of him were his sons, Jamie and Connor. With identical bowl haircuts and fancy black suits, they could've been twins had they been closer in age. Both boys had laughter in their expressions, their blue eyes sparkling as they grinned at the camera. Beside them, their beautiful mother balanced a baby dressed in a frilly, lavender gown on her lap. Sarah had a full head of fine, chocolate hair that gently curled around a beaded white headband. The infant had a strained expression on her face because she was clearly squirming, but their mother smiled serenely as if she didn't notice her daughter's antics.

"Yeah, that's her," Kuai Liang said as he impulsively reached out to touch the screen.

Jax instantly clicked a button, and a printer beside him came alive and spat out a paper. "Here's the address. She's evidently in a hospital just outside of New York City."

"I'll take him," Sonya volunteered as she snatched the address from her C.O. "And I'll take the Mod-Squad with us."

"Fine. I'll stay here and keep trying to figure this out."

"What is she in the hospital for?" Kuai Liang asked.

"It's not clear," the Major replied. "The records say for exhaustion. But that's pretty vague."

"Can I have a copy of that picture? It may come in handy later."

"Sure." He printed out the family portrait on a sheet of regular computer paper, and handed it to Sub-Zero, who silently folded it and stuffed it inside his tunic where the other picture was still concealed.

"Will you notify the runway to ready the jet?" Sonya asked Jax.

"You got it, girl," he said as he tapped the screen again. As the group shuffled out of the war room, he started barking orders at a man who appeared on one of his monitors.

"I'm sure you'll want to clean up before you go," Sonya said to Kuai Liang.

"What do you mean?" Sub-Zero asked. "I'm fine."

"Please. You don't want your mom to know you haven't washed behind your ears, do you?"

"No, I suppose not," he replied, ignoring her jest. So while Sonya readied their jet, everyone showered and changed their tattered clothes. Kuai Liang felt unusual trading his traditional ninja clothes for black Special Forces fatigues, but they were comfortable, so he didn't complain. As the team regrouped in the hangar, Sonya handed him a well-tailored black leather jacket.

"It was Jax's," she explained. "It won't fit him now because of his new arms, so he told me to give it to you."

"Thank you," he said as he slipped it on. The leather had long since been broken in, so it was pliable and fit well.

After that, everyone hiked up a boarding ramp onto an aircraft that, from the outside, looked like a simple cargo plane. Up close, however, Sub-Zero couldn't help but notice the bizarre angles of the wings and nose, and an even more bizarre hull. Under his fingertips, it was rough like a cat's tongue. Sonya noticed his astonishment and offered an explanation.

"There's microscopic lenses built into the skin of the plane," she said. "They're controlled by a computer, and they refract light and radar in such a way that they make the plane look invisible to the naked eye. This is a stealth plane, and we're going to go a lot faster across the country than your average jet."

"Good," he replied. "Time is of the essence."

Kuai Liang wasn't sure where their flight began, but after only a couple hours of napping, he was jarred awake when the pilots landed the plane on a military runway outside of New York City. From above, the city made him claustrophobic. For miles and miles, ugly concrete skyscrapers covered the landscape, and above them, a thick cloud of brown smog hung in still air. Used to wide open space and the crisp cleanness of the Himalayas, he couldn't fathom how people could live in a place such as this, swarming over each other like soldier ants, crammed into the city like sardines. He had heard it called the greatest city in the world, but from what he could see, he was not convinced it was true.

The New York countryside suited him better, however, and he admired the deciduous forests and gently rolling hills as he and Sonya drove in a black SUV towards the hospital where his mother was at. Their teammates, at Johnny's insistence, took a different SUV to the city where they would relax while waiting for the others. Sub-Zero alternately watched the clock built into the dashboard and stared at the picture Jax gave him as they drove, and as he studied his mother's angelic face, he wondered what he was going to say to her. He realized, to his horror, that he was afraid. Not that she wouldn't remember him, but that she would reject him and refuse to acknowledge him as her son because of the man he grew up to be. He was Lin Kuei, after all, and the Lin Kuei struck a terrible blow against her. Why on earth had he believed she'd want to see him? But he kept his concerns to himself, and said nothing as Sonya drove through thick traffic.

Forty-five minutes after leaving the military airstrip, they pulled up to a guard shack situated in front of an elaborate wrought iron gate, so he stuffed the picture back in his pocket and swallowed the nervous butterflies flapping into his throat. When the guard came out to greet them, Sonya promptly pulled out her credentials.

"Special Forces, huh?" the rotund man asked. "What business do you have at this place?"

"Our own," she snapped.

"I'm sorry, if you're not on the visitor's list, I can't let you in."

"What kind of a hospital is this?" Kuai Liang demanded to know.

"A crazy one," he retorted.

Sonya scowled. "Listen, pal, you get whoever's in charge on the phone and tell him I demand to see him."

"Only if you ask nicely," the guard said to her. His tone was rather suggestive, and from his spot in the passenger seat, Kuai Liang saw the man make a lewd gesture.

"Are you suggesting you want me to break your face?" she hissed. "Because I'd be more than happy to oblige."

"Listen, bitch-"

"No, _you_ listen, you fat, disgusting rent-a-cop," she cut him off. "You will get your boss on the phone right the hell now. And if you don't, _I'm_ going to make a phone call. And then my team is going to descend on this place. And if certain, stupid security guards accidentally get shot in the process…Well, what can I say? Sometimes this job is really hard, but every now and then, there are moments that are truly…rewarding. Now dial!"

The guard bristled in anger and annoyance, but he believed her threat and he obliged. Sonya and Kuai Liang both watched in silence through the window as he waddled into his shack and made the phone call. A few seconds passed, and then he began wildly gesturing with his free hands and yelling into the receiver. Finally, he slammed down the phone and returned.

"Dr. Anderson is the hospital director," he said. "He's going to meet you at the front. Go on through." He walked back into his shack and evidently pressed a button that prompted the gates to swing open.

Sonya waved smugly at him as they drove by. They followed a narrow paved road for a half a mile through dense trees until at last, the hospital came into view. Seemingly an elaborate complex of buildings, the main one dwarfed all the others. Ivy vines climbed up the brick face, and bars covered the windows. A short flight of concrete stairs jutted from a set of bright red doors, and just at the bottom, a doctor in a white lab coat stood in front of a sign that read _Rockford Psychiatric Hospital_.


	20. Maggie

"My mother's in an insane asylum?" Kuai Liang blurted out. "Why didn't Jax tell me?"

"It's not on this print-out," Sonya said. She showed him the paper Jax printed. Above the address, it only read _Rockford Hospital_. "Whoever punched in these records must've made a mistake. They accidentally omitted the word 'Psychiatric.' I'm sorry."

It wasn't really her fault, but it didn't make him feel any better. He had really hit the Trifecta these past few weeks. First his brother died, then Tomas got captured and automated, and now he'd just learned that his mother was crazy. He felt a migraine coming on. Part of him wanted to throw up a white flag and surrender. But instead, he set his jaw in stubborn determination and climbed out of the GMC to meet this Dr. Anderson.

"This is quite unusual," the balding man began as Sonya approached him. She flashed her credentials at him, so he led the pair inside to his office.

"Times are unusual," she replied cryptically and then nodded to Sub-Zero. "His mother is here, and it is crucial that we speak to her."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Dr. Anderson asked him, settling into a fancy leather chair built upon an ornate oak frame. He motioned for Sonya and Kuai Liang to sit in the equally exquisite chairs on the opposite side of his desk. "And what happened to your face?"

He swallowed. He didn't want Sonya to know more about him than she already did, but he didn't see a way around it. "My name is…Connor," he said, and felt weird calling himself that. He knew that was his given name, but the only name people had ever called him was Kuai Liang. "My mother is Maggie Sullivan. And as for my face, I've had a rough couple of days."

Dr. Anderson immediately stiffened. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you think she can do to help you. She's very sick."

"What exactly is wrong with her?" he demanded to know.

"I'm sorry, but I can't share that information with you due to patient confidentiality laws."

"I'll show you 'patient confidentiality'," Sonya snapped.

"Sonya, please," Kuai Liang told her as he held up his hand to silence her. Then he looked back at Dr. Anderson. "I'm her _son_," he insisted.

"So you say," the doctor shot back. "However, her son has been missing for over twenty years. And unfortunately, you're not the first one calling himself 'Connor' to come looking for her."

Kuai Liang frowned. Someone tried to pass himself off as him? "What are you talking about? Why would someone do that?"

"Is she rich?" Sonya interrupted.

"Sonya!" he cried just as the doctor said, "I beg your pardon?"

"Well, that would be my first guess as to why others have faked their identity just to see her," she explained, and it actually made sense. He looked from her to Dr. Anderson. "So, answer the question. Is she rich?"

"That's really none of your concern."

"Yeah, but I have the resources to find out on my own," she retorted. "But you know, if you make me do that, I could have you arrested for impeding a top secret military investigation. That's hard time, doc. So wouldn't it just be easier for you to answer my questions?"

He grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes, but he answered. "I fail to see how Maggie Sullivan could be involved in an issue of national security."

"Why don't you let me worry about that?" she replied.

"I-" he started to argue again, but this time Sub-Zero cut him off.

"Just answer the damn question," he snapped, his anger rising to the surface.

"Yes, she's rich," the doctor finally answered. "Her father became a millionaire when he came to New York and opened a very successful clothing chain. He left her everything when he died, so her children, naturally, stand to inherit a fortune. That's why we're so skeptical of visitors. They only want her money."

"Very good," Sonya chided. "Now was that so hard? So why don't you tell us why she's in the hospital? We're not interested in her money."

Dr. Anderson ignored her and looked at Sub-Zero. With a heavy sigh, he said, "She's been in and out of this hospital for years. Twelve times. She first came here after her children were kidnapped. She lost her mind from grief, and she slit her wrists so deep there was terrible nerve damage to her arms. The doctors, I understand, were barely able to save her. After that, she would be fine for a while, but every so often she'd try it again. She's poisoned herself, hung herself, even _electrocuted _herself by throwing a toaster into the bathtub. She's been very lucky that she hasn't succeeded. But I don't know how much longer her luck is going to last."

At first, Kuai Liang absorbed this information slowly, unable to process it. Then hatred for his father welled up in him, and boiled from his eyes. _An Zhi_ did this to her! He destroyed her, crushed her into nothing. If the man wasn't already dead, Sub-Zero would kill him. He wiped away his furious tears and looked up. "What did she do to herself this time?" he asked, his voice now strained with rage.

"She tried to swallow a bullet," he answered simply.

"Oh, my God," Sonya muttered. Sub-Zero looked to his left and saw shock and horror fill her eyes as she covered her gaping mouth with her hands.

"How'd she survive that?" he asked, now feeling equally as upset as his escort.

"She wasn't prepared for the pistol's kickback, and so the bullet went through her cheek instead of her brain. She's going to have a scar, but the plastic surgeons did a good job reconstructing her face. Like I said, she's exceptionally lucky."

"I don't think a woman driven to this level of grief is 'lucky'," he hissed, slamming his hands on the table as he jumped to his feet. His icy powers began to surge into them, but he forced them to stand down.

"You're right, of course," Dr. Anderson agreed. "I only meant that she should be dead now. I'm sorry."

"Where is Sarah in all of this?" he asked coldly, ignoring the doctor's apology. "Where is my sister?" He realized his voice was rising and that he was on the verge of shouting.

Now it was the psychiatrist's turn to be stunned. He looked at him in surprise. "She wasn't with you and your brother this whole time?"

"No," he said slowly, angrily. "My father only took my brother and me."

"Sarah disappeared the same night as you two."

His heart sank. Now Sub-Zero felt panic. If not with their mother, and if not with them, where the hell was she? What did their father do to her? His legs collapsed beneath him and he flopped involuntarily in his chair. "I don't even know what to say," he mumbled.

"I'm so sorry," Sonya said. He looked at her, and her compassion was genuine. She was a hard-ass on the outside, but when he saw her pale green eyes stare back at him with empathy, he realized there was more to this gruff spec ops soldier than just a tough-as-nails attitude.

"I am too," Dr. Anderson echoed. "You really didn't know?"

"No," he said. He met the man's gaze. "I need to see my mother. Now."

"Very well," he agreed. He pressed a few buttons on his phone, and when a cheerful female voice asked 'Yes' he said, "Annalise, please come here. I have a couple of visitors to see Maggie."

There was a pause. Then the voice, which instantly changed from a cheerful tone to an angry tone, said, "Alright. I'll be right there."

"Thanks, honey," he said and then pushed a button on his phone to end the call.

"Is that standard protocol?" Sonya said as she glared at him. "Calling your female employees 'honey'?"

"Only when those employees are my daughter," he fired back. He then looked at Sub-Zero. "Annalise is an RN here, and she's been taking care of your mother since she first started working here three years ago, fresh out of college. They've gotten very close, and my daughter just loves her dearly. She's come to think of her as a second mom. You see her mom, my wife, died when she was a teenager. A drunk driver crashed into her. So Annalise is very protective of Maggie. Which is why I feel it prudent to tell you that she hates it when anyone visits her because the only ones who ever visit are the scam artists. So she's probably going to give you hell. Be forewarned."

"Daughter or no, you have no control over your employees?" Sonya jabbed.

Dr. Anderson laughed. "Not when it comes to Maggie Sullivan," he replied. "Annalise has a strong maternal instinct. She's a mama bear, and don't you forget it. And look, there she is," he said as he nodded towards the hallway. Sub-Zero immediately got to his feet, followed by Sonya, when the young nurse walked in.

Kuai Liang had seen plenty of beautiful women in his life. Hell, Kitana and Jade were beautiful, as was Sonya in her way. But this young lady, Annalise, put them all to shame. Her espresso-colored hair, silky and straight, hung in long, sweeping layers down her back. Thick, black lashes framed eyes delicately shaded with lavender. Her attire was decidedly ordinary - she wore form-fitting scrubs printed with a yellow cartoon sponge-man and a pink blob that resembled a starfish, yellow plastic shoes, a delicate gold cross around her neck – but she carried herself as regally as a queen so he hardly noticed. His heart lurched as she walked to the doorway and stopped on the threshold, prompting the butterflies in his stomach to take flight once more. Once again, he felt like falling into his chair, but this time his weak knees were compelled by humility just to be in her presence. He couldn't stop staring at her, and when she raised her eyebrow at him in response he felt pathetic and stupid.

"Holy crap!" Sonya cried before there were introductions. "You look just like Elizabeth Taylor in _Cleopatra_."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Annalise said coldly. "If I ever find myself a guy who looks like Richard Burton, we could go on the road together as celebrity impersonators."

"Honey," her father abruptly cut in, "this is Sonya. And that's Connor. Maggie's son."

"Uh huh," she said skeptically.

"Will you take them to meet her?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "But I want to say for the record that I do so under protest."

"So noted," her father replied.

"Come on," she motioned for them to follow. "_Connor_." They walked down a hallway, and as they did, she asked, "What happened to your face?"

"What happened to yours?" Sonya hissed in his defense.

"Sonya," he gave her a warning look. Then he shrugged. "Like I told your father, it's been a rough couple of weeks."

"Bar fights?" Annalise jeered.

"If only," he replied.

"It's a matter of national security," Sonya cut in, shooting Sub-Zero an evil glare. "So we'll thank you to mind your own business."

"Whatever," she said as she glanced up at him with a disbelieving expression on her face.

Annalise led them from his office to an elevator, and when they were on board she scowled at him with her piercing eyes. "Look, I don't know what story you two have concocted to weasel your way in, but that poor woman has been through enough. If you have any shred of decency, you'll leave now."

Kuai Liang felt a surge of admiration for her swell in his heart. He was impressed that Annalise cared so deeply for his mother. "I won't hurt her, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she replied, clearly seething. She fingered her cross anxiously. They exited on the fourth floor, and she brought them to a security checkpoint. "You have to leave everything loose here. Wallets, purses, pens, everything," she said as she held out a large plastic bin.

I don't have anything on me but my pictures," he said. "Can I keep them? I don't want to risk losing them."

"Let me see," she said.

He obediently fished his pictures from his pocket and handed them to her. Why was he so intimidated by this woman? He never would have just let a woman talk to him like that before. It was like Annalise had the power to decalcify his spinal column.

She examined the photos carefully, and then looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face. "Who's Bi-han and Kuai Liang?" she asked.

"What?" he asked stupidly, confused by her question. How'd she know their names?

"The names that are written on the back," she pointed out.

Yes, now her question made sense. "My brother and I," he said. "When my father kidnapped us, he took us to Tibet and gave us Chinese names."

"Oh, really?" The skepticism oozed from her voice.

"Honestly, I don't even remember being called 'Connor'," he blurted out, unsure as to why. Annalise didn't need to know that. Neither did Sonya. But he couldn't stop himself. "The only reason I know that's my real name is because my brother made it a point to tell me. A lot."

Her icy mask softened and she frowned, not out of anger but out of uncertainty. Like, she couldn't figure something out. She said nothing, though, as Sonya unloaded two pistols and five guns including a couple from her boots into the bin. When she saw both Kuai Liang and Annalise starting at her, she shrugged. The nurse snatched her wallet and looked at her identification. Then she tossed it into the bin while glaring at the soldier.

"What?" Sonya asked.

"Are you planning on going to war here?"

"I'm always at war. Deal with it."

Annalise continued glaring as she returned Sub-Zero's pictures. "Let's go," she said drily. Now she led the pair through a metal detector and a series of magnetically sealed sliding doors. Finally, they stepped into a long corridor with small hospital rooms lining each side. They walked down the hallway until it emptied into a large room painted sky blue. Some artist created acrylic frescos depicting a tranquil sky swirling with fluffy clouds on the walls. It was undoubtedly an exercise to keep patients calm. Sub-Zero noticed the lightweight tables and chairs situated on the left side of the room, and the couches and recliners situated on the right. Patients milled around – doing puzzles, playing cards, talking to their imaginary friends – in sweatpants, t-shirts, and the same yellow and white bracelets on their right wrists. Suddenly, an old man with white hair and wild eyes stepped to them from nowhere.

"Do you like pie?" he demanded to know as he stood within inches of Kuai Liang's face. He looked up to meet the assassin's gaze. "I like pie, but I don't like anyone who doesn't."

The Cryomancer, bewildered, raised his eyebrows. "I've never really had pie before," he said. It was true. There wasn't a lot of call for pie in the Tibetan Himalayas, though Tomas tried to cook one once, a Czech apple pie called _jablecny kolac_, when he and Kuai Liang snuck into the kitchens one night for a midnight snack. He burned the pie, and the smell of smoke brought everyone running. The Grandmaster was thoroughly unhappy with the boys, so he made them wash all the dishes for the temple and do the grunt chores for the cooks for a month straight.

"Then I don't like you!" he yelled.

"Calm down, Edward," Annalise said gently as she touched his arm. Her voice had a soothing effect on the man because his body immediately relaxed. "Why don't you go play cards with Mel?" She nodded to another patient playing Solitaire at a nearby table.

"Yes, I think I will," he said as he shuffled along.

"That was amazing," Kuai Liang said to Annalise in all honesty.

"No, that was my job," she replied. She would not warm up to him at all, and it frustrated him.

"Why do you do this job anyway?" he wanted to know, hoping that showing an interest in her life would chill her out. "I wouldn't think an insane asylum is an RN's first choice as to where she'd like to work"

She looked at him pointedly. "There is a terrible stigma in this country regarding mental illness. It's like, if you wind up being crazy, then society doesn't want anything to do with you. But I'm of the notion people shouldn't be punished simply because they have problems and need a little bit more help. They're not trash that you can simply throw away. Their wiring is just a little off, so it needs fixed. These are good people. I know it. So I do this job because I have hope that someday, everyone else will get their heads out of their asses and realize it too."

"A tad touchy, are we?" Sonya chided.

"Just a tad," Annalise shot back. "Your mother's over here."

Sonya patted Sub-Zero's arm. "If it's all the same to you, I'm going to hang back here. I don't want to get in your way."

"Okay," he agreed as he set off after Annalise.

She wove a path through the patients and furniture until they reached the front of the room where a barred bay window arranged in three segments overlooked a mountainous hillside full of leafy trees. On the bench beneath it, a silhouette of a woman stared out intently at the landscape. As he stepped closer, Kuai Liang recognized his mother's profile. She had aged – streaks of white swept through her shoulder-length hair and wrinkles marred her face – but she was still the woman from the photograph and his distant memories. When she sensed them standing there, she slowly swiveled her head around to face them. When he saw the thick padding and bandages on her cheek and neck, he didn't know whether to cry, hug her, or run away. A mournful expression weighed heavily on her face, and she regarded him with a deep, sorrowful look.

But when she saw Annalise, her eyes brightened and the heaviness around her fled. "Anya," she greeted, the word strained from the injury. She murmured, "I missed you. Where have you been?" Though her voice sounded slurred and impaired, it was colored by a very faint Irish brogue, and Sub-Zero thought it was the most wonderful sound in the world.

Annalise, who evidently went by Anya for short, immediately wrapped her arm around Maggie's shoulders and kissed her forehead. "I know, I missed you too. My dad had me working downstairs today. He knows it's hard for me to catch up on my charting when I'm with you because he knows we'll do nothing but talk." She paused. "You have a visitor," she said a moment later.

"Do I? Who are they?" Maggie looked past Sub-Zero as if she hadn't noticed him at all.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to let him tell you. But if you need anything, I'll be over there with that blond woman, okay?" She pointed to Sonya.

"Okay," his mother said.

Annalise started to leave, but as she walked past Kuai Liang, she pulled his ear down so she could whisper in it. "If you hurt her, I'll…well, let's just say I work in a mental hospital. I know plenty of crazy people who'll help me bury a body!" she hissed. Sub-Zero should've been angry with her threat, but her hot breath pleasantly tickled his neck and he almost laughed instead. He liked her spunk. And then he felt stupid again. What was the matter with him all of a sudden?

"Understood," he whispered back. She harrumphed loudly and then walked towards Sonya, fingering her necklace once more.

That left him to face his mother. Swallowing a hard, nervous lump in his throat, he knelt before Maggie and took her hands in his. He looked up at her pleadingly, trying to find the words to speak but unable. Instead, he drowned in her sad eyes. She studied his face for a moment, and then the serene smile he'd seen her make for the family portrait appeared as she gently traced the curvature of his face. Then she ran her fingers through a lock of hair above his ear and smoothed it back so it fell more neatly into place. She touched his nose, and then his lips, and finally his scar. He expected pain as she pressed the bruises and cuts from his recent battles, but instead, her soft fingers alleviated the dull aches.

At last, she said, "I know you." Maggie pulled him closer and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Your face is a little worse for the wear, but I know you!" she exclaimed, now crying. When she kissed his head, he felt his own tears of relief spring to his eyes. He held her tightly back, finally understanding why Bi-han always wanted to come home so badly. Their mother _was _their home, and without her, they were empty. Kuai Liang wished his brother was here now to share in this moment, for once not because he didn't know how to proceed, but because they both belonged in their mother's arms.

As if reading his thoughts, Maggie finally released him, wiped her eyes, and asked, "Where's your brother? And your sister? I've missed you all so much."

"He-" Sub-Zero trailed off. How could he tell her that Bi-han was dead? And not only dead, but damned? Or that Sarah was God knows where in the world, if she was even alive? And that that's why they couldn't be there as well for this reunion? Their mother had already suffered enough. He couldn't hurt her further. So he lied.

"We were looking for you," he said. "We split up because we had no idea where to begin. I was the first one to find you. So I'm going to get a hold of them and tell them where you are." The moment he lied to her, he knew it'd come back to bite him in the ass. He couldn't delay her finding out forever. But right now, it didn't matter because Maggie squealed in delight and threw her arms around him once more. This time he noticed the deep scars stretched vertically on her forearms. He winced at the sight.

"This is wonderful! I never gave up hope that I'd see my babies again."

He smiled at her. "Mom, I've really missed you." He was surprised when he said it, but he found it to be true. Even though he couldn't consciously remember her until recently, something deep inside him longed to be back with her.

The sadness returned to her face and she cupped his cheek in her hand. "Oh, Connor, I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

Surprise flooded him. "Forgive you for what?"

"I tried not to let that monster take you. I would've died to keep that from happening. But I failed. I failed all of you!" Now she burst into tears and started sobbing into her hands.

He gripped her hands in his. "No, it's not your fault. Mom…Momma…please don't cry," he pleaded, hating to see her like this. He realized this was the source of her suicidal depression. It wasn't merely the loss of her children. Even worse, it was the conviction that she was to blame for the loss. And she'd been shouldering that imagined guilt for twenty three years. He kissed her hands. "An Zhi is dead," he declared. "He can never hurt you or us again. He's dead."

Her tears finally subsided and she looked at him again. "He is?"

"That's why we were able to come looking for you. He couldn't keep us prisoner anymore."

"I've been so weak," she said apologetically. "I've done terrible things."

"Me too," he whispered, briefly recalling Oscar's gruesome death at his hands. "Things that would make you ashamed of me."

Her eyes widened and she pulled him close. "Oh, my poor son. There is nothing you could do to make me ashamed of you."

"Don't bet on it," he replied. "Our father made us like him." He looked down in humiliation. "We got away, but not before we did horrible things for the Lin Kuei."

She kissed his cheek and hugged him. "You're not like them, baby. You're different. I just know it. Why don't we make a vow, Connor, right this instant?"

"What kind of a vow?" he asked as he drew away and met her eyes.

"We're going to promise here and now that the past is the past. We can't change it no matter how much we want to. We have to deal with what's right in front of us. And we have to work towards a different future." Maggie looked at him expectantly. "Do you agree to those terms?"

"That sounds…nice," he agreed. "I promise to be a better person."

"So do I," she said, and as she did, it was like years of turmoil lifted off her face. A happiness he only vaguely remembered from his childhood settled on her now, and he felt his own spirits lift. His father's oppressive influence was gone. And while he still mourned Bi-han and Tomas, he realized there was nothing he could do to change their fate. So now, he had to worry about his own. And it began with rekindling his relationship with his mother. He hugged her tightly.

"Is everything okay, Maggie?" Annalise asked as she rejoined them.

"Oh, Anya! Anya! Have you met my son?"

"I have," she said.

"Connor, do you have a girlfriend right now? Because I think Anya would be perfect for you!" his mother exclaimed happily.

"Mom!" he yelped as his face flushed with embarrassment. He'd been back with Maggie for all of ten minutes, and she had already mortified him. The remark clearly bothered Annalise as well because her face had turned tomato red.

"Um, Maggie, I'm not-"

"Oh, stop it, you two," she interrupted. "Connor, are you single?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"And I know _you're_ single, Anya."

"Maggie, I don't really feel comfortable-"

"So what's the problem? Connor, ask her out already!"

"But Mom, I'm-"

A sudden loud explosion broke through the air, followed by a roaring earthquake. The building swayed violently as ceiling tiles and plaster fell onto the frightened patients. Sub-Zero dragged his mother from the window bench and huddled with her beneath a nearby table. He grabbed Annalise by her wrist and pulled her to him as well, and he did his best to shield both women's bodies from the debris. Just as they took cover, the glass from the window shattered and sprayed jagged shards everywhere. A fire alarm went off and pierced the chaos with its shrill noise.

"Everyone take cover!" the nurse shrieked to her patients as she rubbed up against his chest. Though the situation was grave, the butterflies flapped through him once more. And once more, he wondered what was the matter with him.

A minute later, the quaking subsided and Annalise bolted from her hiding spot. Immediately, she began tending to her patients as Sub-Zero helped Maggie to her feet. Both were unharmed, though his mother was clearly shaken. She didn't say anything, however, and stood in silence as she surveyed the damage. Sonya, on the other hand, leapt across the room to him.

"We've gotta go!" she cried.

"What, why?" he asked. He just found his mom. He didn't want to leave her again.

"You know that issue of national security?" she reminded him in code.

"Yeah."

"Well, the shit just got real. Jax just told me that our suspicions were correct." She was very careful how she spoke, and Sub-Zero knew it was to keep the threat a secret, but it was also to keep already delusional patients from having a fit over the news of invasion. "Um…the illegal immigrants are just flooding into this country, and we have to go deal with that now," she said.

"So what does he want us to do?"

"We need to meet up with them at Trinity Church. So, let's get a move on while the day is still young."

"You can't leave!" Maggie cried. "Not yet!"

"I don't want to," Kuai Liang said to her, "but I have to. Remember our vow, Mom? To change our futures? This is something I have to do to change my future."

Tears sprang to her eyes but she nodded. "I understand."

"Well, I don't," Annalise said as she rejoined them. "What the hell is going on?"

"The earthquake is causing problems in New York City," Sonya lied. "We have to go assist."

"What are Special Forces gonna do? Isn't crowd control and search and rescue more a job for the National Guard?" she remarked sarcastically.

"You'd think. But we seriously have to leave." She started towards the door.

"I don't like this," the nurse complained. "You can't do this to her. I just knew you were lying!"

"I'm not lying," Sub-Zero argued. "I have a job to do. Plain and simple. Now please. Lead us out of here."

"Fine," she growled.

Maggie walked with them to the unit door, and she held his hand tightly in hers. "I don't know what you're going to do, but please be safe," she said. "Be careful."

"I'll try, Mom," he replied. "But I can't lie to you. My job is dangerous. I may not-"

"Don't even say it," she cut him off.

"I'm sorry. But I promise I'll come back for you. I won't be gone for long."

"You better not be because if you are, I'll find you and cane you." Maggie stopped him and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, my son."

"I love you too, Mom."


	21. The Invasion Begins

After she and Sub-Zero bolted out of the hospital and climbed into the GMC, Sonya took off down the road, barely waiting for the moronic guard from earlier to let her through. And then she swerved onto the main road so quickly that he had to grab the overhead handle to keep from falling into her. Sonya raced towards the highway, dodging in and out of traffic as she drove, barely missing some of the other cars as she sailed by. Some of the other drivers shook their angry fists at her, and even more waved their middle fingers at her, though Kuai Liang wasn't entirely sure what the gesture meant. He made an educated guess though, and gave her a stern look to tell her to slow down. She ignored him, and soon, she merged onto the highway and followed the signs towards New York City.

With an angry grunt, he looked out the window to scan for portals and intruders. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, but as they flew down the highway, he noticed the sky had changed. A sickly, cancerous green spread like India ink over the sunset, washing away the reddish-orange sunlight until the landscape turned gray. It was almost like an eclipse.

"Sonya," he muttered. "Are you seeing this?"

She peered around. "Holy shit," she muttered. "Jax," she said after she tapped her wrist-comm. "Something's happening to the sky. The sun is gone."

"Not gone," Sub-Zero corrected. "Just muted somehow."

"Baby girl, we've got monsters coming through the portals," the man said through the radio. "Right now, they seem to be concentrating their attention on major metropolitan areas. And somehow, they got their hands on some serious firepower. Where are you at?"

"We're on the highway into town, ETA thirty minutes," she announced. "There's very little traffic."

Indeed, on the other side of the road, Sub-Zero watched the mass exodus of cars trying to leave the city. It was wall to wall traffic, and it was at a standstill. Their side, however, was free and clear with no vehicles ahead of them impeding their journey. He did notice, however, a faded blue car with tinted windows trailing behind them. It looked like a piece of junk about to die any second, so he thought nothing of it and returned his attention to the sky.

"Good," the Major replied. "Get your asses here ASAP. I'll be looking for you."

"Yes, sir," she said curtly. "Sonya out." She tapped her wrist-comm again.

They rode to Trinity Church in absolute silence, and as she sped along, Kuai Liang's thoughts shifted to his mother. He hoped he hadn't made a mistake leaving her at Rockford. What if one of these invaders attacked the hospital and hurt her? But why would they focus on one lousy mental hospital when they had entire cities to contend with first? The thought was only slightly reassuring, but then he remembered how protective that nurse, Annalise, was. Dr. Anderson had been right; his daughter was a mama bear. Sub-Zero almost chuckled at the thought of her. God help whoever went to Rockford looking to hurt Maggie Sullivan. He felt better knowing that his mother was in her care.

Trinity Church was a medieval gothic cathedral in the midst of a bustling, contemporary city, but he had no time to admire its architecture as Sonya parked in front of it and ushered him inside. There, beneath stained glass windows and Christian icons, nearly a hundred people sat in pews praying. Kuai Liang thought it odd that they weren't trying to escape the city, but perhaps they felt safer here, like their odds weighed more heavily in their favor if they huddled at the base of a cross. He passed no judgment on them, vaguely thinking that if the world was about to end, this place was as good as any to die.

He and Sonya quickly found their teammates in the parish hall. "Fine staging ground you've established here," the blond woman hissed at Raiden as she marched to him. "I mean, I don't know if you've noticed the huge targets we have on our backs, but it's great to hang out in the church where butt-loads of innocent people are going to congregate."

"This is holy ground," the thunder god explained. "Consecrated to the forces of good. Even if you do not believe in this particular deity, the powers that protect this church will shield you all from detection by the forces of Outworld. That's true of any church, mosque, synagogue, or temple, regardless of faith. Remember that."

"Holy ground, Highlander!" Johnny joked.

Kuai Liang shot him a dirty look. "Shut up," he barked. "You're not funny."

"It was just a little funny," the actor smirked.

"No, it wasn't."

"And if they figure out we're in here, will this place shield us from attack?" Sonya demanded to know, ignoring the exchange between the two.

"Unfortunately, no."

"So you're just gambling with those people's lives," she snarled.

"Calm down, Sonya," Jax tried to soothe.

"This isn't a crap shoot!" she exploded.

Sub-Zero understood her frustration. "We're endangering those people by being here, Raiden," he began coolly.

"If they die here or out there, who cares?" Johnny said flippantly. "At least in church, they'll feel better about themselves when they bite the dust."

"Enough of this in-fighting!" Liu cried. "Raiden, what is happening? How is this invasion possible?"

"It would seem that Shao Kahn is alive after all," the god declared.

"How?" Kuai Liang asked. "Everyone here, well, except Jax and Sonya, watched Liu kill him. He ripped out his heart, remember? How could he possibly have survived that?"

"Quan Chi somehow healed him and gave him the means to invade. I must consult with the Elder Gods to put a stop to this madness," he said.

"Because they're so reliable about helping us out," Sub-Zero hissed, thinking bitterly of Himavat. The Elder God of Water only seemed anxious to help when it suited himself, and not when it suited others.

"This invasion is a clear violation of the rules," the god replied. "I am confident they will help. I must go before them now to plead our case. While I am gone, I want you all to defeat as many of the invaders as you can, and protect the human population to the best of your ability. If all goes well, I will not be gone long. Nightwolf, you will come with me," he ordered. With that, they both were gone in a flash of lightning.

"Okay, listen up people," Jax declared. "I think we should split up. We can cover more ground that way. Me and Jade have the Bronx. Sonya, you take Kitana to Queens. Liu and Johnny, you've got Brooklyn. And Sub-Zero, you stay in Manhattan. Are we all clear?"

"Um, just one question," Johnny said.

"What?"

"Why can't I go with Sonya?"

Jax sighed at the same time Sonya groaned in disgust. The two spec ops soldiers walked from the hall with everyone else trailing behind them. Outside, Kuai Liang immediately spotted the blue beater that had followed him and Sonya on the freeway parked on the street. Leaning against it was Annalise with her arms crossed, and she scowled at him fiercely as he headed towards her. He was both thrilled and upset to see her, happy to see her pretty face again, but worried that no one was back at Rockford to watch out for Maggie.

"Are you following me?" he demanded to know as his teammates headed in all different directions.

"I am," she replied defiantly, sticking her chin out. "I wanted to see what was so damn important that you'd leave your mother only five minutes after reuniting with her."

"Oh, so you believe that I'm her son now? Well, that's something at least."

"Hey, pal, I'm not convinced, especially now. But _she _is, and I'll be damned if I just let you swindle her."

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that I'm telling the truth?"

"Because I haven't met a man yet who has," she shot back.

"Hey, Frosty, who's the girl?" Johnny asked as he swaggered to Sub-Zero and casually draped an arm around his shoulder.

Kuai Liang grunted in disapproval as he shoved the actor's arm off him. "Don't touch me," he snarled. "Don't ever touch me."

"Sor-ry," the other said as he pushed down his sunglasses and ogled Annalise. Annoyance and anger coursed through the Cryomancer's heart. How dare Johnny look at her like that? He had half a mind to gouge out the actor's eyes with an icicle. But he simply seethed and said nothing as his teammate leaned towards her with his hand extended. "Hi, I'm Johnny Cage," he greeted. "I'm sure you know what a big movie star I am."

"Uh huh," Annalise replied dispassionately, daggers shining in her eyes.

"You look as pretty as a movie star too," he complimented. "You know what I'd like to do sometime?"

"Jump off a big cliff into a lagoon full of man-eating sharks?" she hissed. Sub-Zero had to conceal his smile as she continued, "Oh, wait. That's what _I'd_ like to see you do."

"Jesus, what's with all the hostility from women today?" he replied as he and Liu headed down the street.

Annalise returned her attention to the Cryomancer. "Special Forces? Actors? You're really a piece of work, _Connor_."

"Anya-"

She abruptly cut him off. "No, you're not allowed to call me that. Only my friends are, and you're not my friend. To you, I'm Annalise. Better yet, Miss Anderson."

Her words stung like he'd been slapped, but he stifled his disappointment and continued. "Annalise, I don't have time to argue with you. Nor do I have time to explain. But in case you hadn't noticed, bad stuff is going down right now, and I have to take care of it. We all do. Please. I'd feel much better if you were back at Rockford with my mother. You're the only one I can trust to protect her."

"Protect her from what?" she asked. Her face had softened slightly, but her pale purple eyes were still hard and skeptical. Sub-Zero had no idea how to explain the situation quickly, but as he struggled to find the words, Annalise gasped and pointed. "Oh, my God!" she squealed. "Look!"

He whirled around to see a lone police officer dressed in a vest with the word 'SWAT' printed on the chest running towards them at a sprint, occasionally turning around and firing rounds wildly into the air. A large creature wielding a morning star chased him. Half man, half draft horse, Kuai Liang recognized the species from studying Greek mythology as a child: a centaur. Interestingly, long black horns protruded from his scalp, and thick talons sprouted from his fingertips. It lowered his head as if to gore the police officer, but the man threw a canister of tear gas at it, and the subsequent explosion of pepper spray momentarily stunned the beast.

"Run!" he yelled to Sub-Zero and Annalise.

"Oh yeah, like _that's_ gonna happen," the Cryomancer mumbled aloud as he ran into the street to meet the officer. They met in the middle, and finally the cop turned to face his attacker.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he panted. "This is no game."

"Never said it was," Sub-Zero replied as he took a fighting stance. "But you looked like you could use some help, and it just so happens I can do exactly that."

"What is that thing?"

"Butt-ugly," he replied as the centaur bounded to them and abruptly stopped.

"I will trample your bones into dust, puny hu-mans," he threatened, putting strange emphasis on the second syllable of 'humans' so that it sounded like 'mons'. He gripped his morning star tightly, preparing to swing. The weapon's steel globe, minus the two-inch long deadly spikes, was roughly the size of a basketball.

"Yeah?" the cop retorted. "Screw you and the horse you rode in on!"

"I will give you the death of a warrior," he said.

"So what are you waiting for?" Sub-Zero responded.

He waited for the creature to attack. Immediately, the centaur stood on his back haunches and kicked his hooves at Sub-Zero's face. The Cryomancer gracefully flipped backwards and caught the centaur in the chin with his foot, knocking him off balance and forcing him to fall on all fours with a loud clomping. The ground shook a little under their feet as his morning star flew from his hands and crashed to the ground, and the cop stumbled. The monster saw the human fall, and he stomped his long leg at the man, not expecting him to counter with a taser gun. Unexpectedly, two prongs full of electricity burrowed into the centaur's powerful leg muscles and sizzled as the beast groaned in pain. It didn't stun the creature like it would've done to a human, but regardless he stumbled backwards as he ripped the barbed ends out of his flesh. Blood so red it was almost black spilled from the wound.

Now the centaur was pissed. It took one look at the cop and started to charge at him with a ferocious roar, prompting Sub-Zero to spring into action. He instinctively aimed his ice-charged palms at the ground and sprayed a shower of ice onto the ground. A blue-white sheen grew and expanded across the monster's path, and because the centaur was running so fast, he could not bank his direction to avoid stepping on it. His smooth hooves did not agree with the ice, and he lost his balance the moment his feet made contact. He crashed into the pavement with a pained grunt.

The centaur's talons brushed his nearby morning star, and he roared again as he gripped the handle in his hand and staggered to his feet. Instantly, he swung it at Sub-Zero, who leapt to the side a split second before the spikes bit into his chest. The action had caught him off guard, so though he successfully avoided the centaur's attack, he fell to his knees because he lost his balance. The Cryomancer recovered quickly, however, and flipped backwards to avoid a second attack, and a third. The fourth time the centaur swung the morning star, however, it missed him but found Annalise's car.

From the sidewalk, she yelped loudly in surprise as the tinted windows exploded and the terrible screeching sound of metal ripping metal echoed through the air. The centaur tried to pull the morning star out of the badly damaged sedan, but its teeth bit too deeply into the driver side door, and it would not be dislodged. With a frustrated grunt, the centaur yanked violently on the handle, pulling the chain taut, and inadvertently flung the car into the building across the street. Sub-Zero and Stryker barely had time to duck before the car took their heads off.

"Annalise, get back! Run!" Kuai Liang barked at her, not out of anger but out of worry. She was going to get killed if she stayed where she was. But naturally, she didn't run like he wanted, opting instead to back up against the church's façade and watch the fight with a look of terror and astonishment plastered to her face. Dammit! Why did she have to be so stubborn?

"A little help?" the cop cried, capturing Sub-Zero's attention once more.

The centaur, now focused on him, swung his morning star at his head. The officer somehow managed to duck every attack, but the monster backed him up until he finally stood on a manhole cover. With a chopping motion, the beast brought the weapon down, only to have the cop spring out of the way at the last possible second. The morning star plunged into the metal cover so powerfully that it smashed it in two. In the distance, Sub-Zero heard metal clanking and scraping for a brief moment before landing in the sewer water with a loud splash. Immediately, a little burst of steam exploded in the centaur's face, distracting him long enough for the cop to run.

But the centaur, momentarily blinded, quickly recovered and charged once more after the cop. Sub-Zero chased after the beast, and watched in amazement as the policeman caught a pole attached to a nearby stop sign, swung himself around with his body fully outstretched, and then launched himself onto the monster's back. All of this happened in the blink of an eye, and with the added agility and dexterity of a trained ninja assassin. He only had a split second to be impressed with the man, however, because the centaur promptly flailed around to buck the cop off his back.

"Yee-haw! Ride 'em, cowboy!" the cop whooped as he clung tightly to the centaur's long, matted locks of hair.

The beast reared back on his haunches, exposing his underside. Sub-Zero, who stood before the animal, knew he had to dispatch him quickly, before he hurt Annalise. He'd be damned before he let this creature rip her apart with his morning star. As resolve and an inexplicable sense of protectiveness surged through him, he felt sharp ice spring from his palms. Instantly, he held a large kori sword in his hands, which he promptly stabbed into the centaur's belly. With a loud grunt of his own, he sliced through ribs and internal organs, spilling the animal's guts onto the pavement with a loud splash of blood.

The centaur stopped flailing, and as Sub-Zero looked up at his astonished face, he choked. A deep, gurgling sound welled up in his throat, the thick blood and spittle finally spilling over his lips in a gruesome waterfall. The cop quickly hopped off before the monster fell to the ground in a dead heap, his surprise still screaming from his gaping mouth. Sub-Zero stared at him for a long moment, then remembered Annalise and threw his kori sword to the ground, smashing it into several pieces. He turned and trotted to her.

Still against the wall, her hands covered her mouth as her eyes bugged out of her head in shock. "Oh, my God," she kept muttering to herself repeatedly. That was when Kuai Liang realized she hadn't refused to run out of stubbornness. She'd refused to run out of fear. And he couldn't blame her, really. It wasn't every day that a mythical creature galloped into the world, hell-bent on killing every human it came across with its morning star, which was a terrifying weapon in and of itself.

"Annalise, are you hurt?" he asked in grave concern. She didn't seem to be. More frightened than anything.

"Do I need to call an ambulance?" the cop asked as he joined them.

"No," she answered, trembling. "I'm fine." She looked at Kuai Liang. "You…you killed it." Her eyes were stunned, not accusatory.

"Well, it was him or us," he replied. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"You…you…you froze…" she trailed off as if she didn't quite believe what she was saying. "How did you do that?"

He smiled thinly. "It's a gift," he said drily.

"Am I crazy?" she mumbled, looking off into space.

Now the cop answered. "You know, if this were any other day, I'd say you were," he told her. "But I just fought a bloodthirsty man-horse thing. And this after I saw a sloth the size of the Empire State Building stamping down 5th Avenue like some kind of goddamn Godzilla. So, if you're crazy, then so am I."

"Oh, thank you, I feel so much better," she mumbled sarcastically. She looked at her wrecked car across the street. "Think I can get a lot on trade-in for it now?" she joked as she stepped off the sidewalk.

Kuai Liang felt bad for her, so he followed her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I think that's the least of your worries right now," he said gently.

"I suppose you're right," Annalise answered. She seemed to be in a fugue. It was shock, he knew. Hopefully, it would wear off quickly. He hated to see her pretty face twisted into confusion like this. He squeezed her shoulder to reassure her.

"So, I never said thanks for jumping into that fight with me," the cop began. "So, thank you. My name's Stryker. Kurtis Stryker."


	22. Smoke: Round Two

Kuai Liang barely heard the policeman introduce himself while he stared at his mother's nurse in concern and compassion. Annalise was recovering from her shock, but her slender shoulder still felt remarkably tense underneath his palm, understandably so, and before he knew what he was doing he found himself squeezing it to make her relax. When the Cryomancer realized that he was massaging her, he mentally cursed his hand for having a mind of its own, then pulled it back quickly. She continued staring at her wrecked car and the centaur corpse, but her own hand drifted to the spot where his had been and rested there peacefully.

"You got a name there, pal?" Stryker asked as extended his hand.

"Sub-Zero."

Now Annalise faced him and scoffed. "Another name?"

"That's my code-name," he explained.

"Well, you're nothing if not intriguing," she said.

Suddenly, a brilliant orange and blue flash of light exploded around the street corner over a small bridge, and it strobed a few times before it stabilized and concentrated into a swirling portal of energy. Impulsively, Sub-Zero ran to it to stop whatever creature came through this time, and he vaguely heard his companions' footfalls on the pavement behind him as he ran. A moment later, a humanoid figure raced through the ethereal doorway at a blinding speed that probably put a cheetah to shame, running so fast that all the Cryomancer could see of him was a blur, but as he came upon him, he slowed and stopped.

Burn scars covered the exposed portions of his body, but a helmet not unlike a Lin Kuei cyber-ninja's completely encased and protected his head and face. There was one noticeable difference, however; this man's mask seemed to function as a respirator, as evidenced by the raspy wheezes that whistled mechanically through it. There was nothing else inhuman about him, though, no circuitry or wires like those found on Sub-Zero's old clan members. This newcomer was dressed predominantly in dark leather and carried long hook-swords in his hands. And he poised to use them.

"Kabal!" Stryker cried as he and Annalise trotted up. The cop withdrew his .9 mm pistol.

"Out of my way!" he barked.

"You invade _my_ world and just expect _me_ to let you waltz on in?" Kuai Liang countered as he took a fighting stance.

"I'm not an invader," he began just as the portal sputtered in loud, short bursts that spit out three more figures. "_Those_ are the invaders!"

Kuai Liang looked up in time to see his old companions, the cyber-ninjas, march through the portal. In yellow, dark blue, and black, he recognized them immediately: Cyrax, Hydro, and Smoke. No trace of damage from their earlier fight remained on his best friend's armor, and his amputated arm had been refitted with a brand new limb covered in an intricate series of buttons. The Cryomancer's heart sank.

"Tomas," he said. "My friend…I am so sorry about what they've done to you. It should've been me, not you. Never you."

"You know these guys?" Kabal asked pointedly.

"They used to be my comrades," he explained drily. "Long story."

"Unit LK-4D4 to LK-9T9," Cyrax spoke aloud to his wrist after he tapped a button fixed into his yellow gauntlet. "We have encountered the fugitive known as Sub-Zero. Should we abandon our orders to capture Shang Tsung's prisoner and capture him instead?"

"Capture Sub-Zero," Sektor's voice ordered through the radio. "Shang Tsung's prisoner can wait."

"Damn you, Sektor," he grumbled. Smoke had been fun enough to fight in his altered state, but with Cyrax and Hydro to boot? Sub-Zero did not like his odds. But he clinched his jaw in determination anyway and he looked at his new rag-tag band of fighters. "You need to run. _Now_. I'll delay them so you three can get away."

"What, and let you have all the fun?" Stryker countered with a smirk. He shoved his gun back in its holster before he pulled out his nightstick and patted a hand with it as he stared squarely at the cyber-ninjas.

"Yeah, I owe these Outworld freaks a little payback for what they did to me," Kabal added as he poised to strike with his hook-swords.

Sub-Zero looked at Annalise. She shrugged. "Well, you know _I'm_ not leaving."

"Annalise, go! These men are dangerous."

"Not gonna happen."

"Don't argue with me," he snapped. "This isn't a game and I'm not joking."

"Don't boss me around!"

"Hey, kids," Stryker began, "I'd tell you it was time to put your heads on your desks to take a nap, but instead can we focus on the situation at hand?"

"You will be captured and automated," Smoke said to Sub-Zero, ignoring the others.

Kuai Liang narrowed his eyes. "You know, Smoke, if you were yourself, I'd know what you'd say to that. You'd tell yourself to get some new material, champ."

"Unit LK-7T2 has been purged of all emotion, including that which once compelled him to make inappropriate remarks to those around him," Cyrax taunted.

"His name is _Tomas_!" he roared, fiery anger boiling to the surface. He realized that's what had been bothering him all along. His friend, a spirited individual, had been reduced to a mechanized designation, no different than a gun or a vehicle in an armored cavalry. "He is _not _a number!"

With that, Sub-Zero yanked his kitana from his back and charged Smoke. If he couldn't save his friend, he had to kill him to release his soul from the hellish captivity that bound him. To either side, Stryker attacked Hydro with his nightstick and Kabal raced around Cyrax, but the Cryomancer scarcely noticed their fights. He lunged through the air as he swung his sword at the cyber-ninja, but Smoke calmly held up his hand and fired his kunai blade at his former friend from his palm. The blade whistled as it soared through the air, but with lightning-quick reflexes, Sub-Zero plucked it from its course, froze it in his outstretched hand, and crushed it in his own palm. Smoke dispassionately tried to reel in the cable that connected the blade to his body, but the ice warrior caught it and held firm as he sheathed his kitana on his back once again.

The cyber-ninja tried to whip him off, but Kuai Liang held fast and made a running leap towards him while he used his friend's flailing momentum to launch himself over his body. With a soft thud, he landed behind Smoke and wrapped the cord around his opponent's neck, pulling it taut to choke him to death. Tomas had always been a little taller and heavier than Kuai Liang, and even more so now with his enhancements, so although he struggled momentarily, he easily grabbed the cord and violently ripped it off. The cable cut into Sub-Zero's palms as it slid through them, and the force of the movement forced him to the ground.

Immediately, Smoke disappeared and then kicked Kuai Liang in the face. The Cryomancer tasted his own blood as it gushed from a newly split lip and the tongue he'd just bitten. The taste was coppery, and as copious amounts involuntarily spilled down his throat, he grew nauseous. Smoke tried to kick him again, but this time he saw the shimmering distortion in the air, so he rolled away just before a heavy cybernetic shoe stomped on his skull. Then, with a ferocious roar, he rammed an ice dagger through Smoke's shin. Swiftly, he scrambled away on all fours to recover his ground.

Smoke reappeared immediately, seemingly unfazed by the injury to his leg, and opened the launch bay doors built into his chest. The three fat missiles were blazing within, and Sub-Zero had little time to react before they all sailed for his face. Quickly, he flipped backwards, forming an ice clone of himself in their path, just before he righted himself and knelt by the bridge's guardrail. The rockets instantly plunged into his effigy and exploded, showering ice onto everyone and everything nearby. The concussive blast from the explosion carried Kuai Liang into a streetlamp, denting it slightly.

As he rubbed his head to temper the violent throbbing inside his skull, a spray of water rained onto him a moment before Stryker fell into the rail beside him, soaking wet. He wiped the water from his eyes before he looked at Sub-Zero and said, "Gee, you're fun. We should hang out more often!" And then he was back on his feet, charging after Hydro once again.

The Cryomancer also got to his feet, saw Smoke marching towards him fearlessly, so he lobbed a continuous stream of ice at his friend to slow him down. But the cyber-ninja stealthily flipped out of the way before he tossed a small smoke grenade at his enemy, caught him in the stomach as it exploded, and sent him flying towards the other side of the bridge where Annalise watched the men fight.

She squealed as Kuai Liang landed face-first in the concrete, and a sickening crunch filled the air as his nose snapped. More blood gushed from his face, and she rushed to his side to help him sit. As she wrapped her arm beneath his neck, the nurse promptly pulled a tissue from her scrubs' pockets and squeezed the bridge of his nose to stop the bleeding. It hurt, but he reminded himself that pain was the mark of a weak mind.

"Annalise," he began, his voice nasal and odd-sounding in his own ears. "You've got to run. Get as far away as you can. Please don't argue with me. I don't know that I-"

"I'm not going anywhere," she interrupted stubbornly. Her voice wasn't haughty this time, but rather equally concerned as his. Was she actually starting to care?

"Your resistance is futile and foolish," Smoke said in his robotic voice.

Sub-Zero leapt to his feet and stood between Smoke and Annalise, pushing her away from him with a hand stretched behind his back. "I'm sorry for what they did to you, my friend. But I'm not going to let the same thing happen to me. I'll die first."

"You do not have the Lin Kuei's permission to die."

"You're welcome to try to take me," he challenged. "But these people are innocent. Let them go, Smoke. You don't care about them. You're only interested in me."

"They will be culled like the feeble cattle they are," he said coldly.

"Listen to what you're saying," Sub-Zero pleaded as Kabal tossed Cyrax into a light pole nearby with his hook-swords. "My friend would never have said that. In spite of everything, he was a good man and he wouldn't have hurt innocent people. I know you're in there Smoke. Please, don't do this. Let me help you. My _pr̆ítel_."

Smoke stood before him in silence for a long moment, and for a second Kuai Liang thought he'd actually reached his friend. But then the cyber-ninja held up his hand again and fired a new kunai blade at the Cryomancer. The action caught him off guard, and the triangle shaped blade plunged through his black military-issue clothes and deep into his collarbone. Sub-Zero wailed as the kunai dug into the clavicle and caught in the muscle, fire exploding in his chest and sparks of pain dancing in front of his eyes. From her spot, Annalise screamed but tried to go to him to assist until Smoke ruthlessly yanked on the cord and reeled his prey in.

"Connor!" she cried.

"Get back," he gurgled, the pain unbearable. But not surprisingly, she ignored him and instead charged forward. Quickly, Annalise tugged on his scabbard, fighting with it as they grew steadily closer to the cyber-ninja. After a long second, she finally unsheathed the kitana. With a furious roar, she brought it down onto the thin cord, chopped it, and freed Sub-Zero from Smoke. Both men stumbled apart from each other, but while Smoke fell onto his butt, the nurse caught the Cryomancer in her arms and propped him up on a shoulder.

"Oh, my God," she muttered. "We've got to get you to a hospital!"

Sub-Zero took a deep breath, ripped the blade from his body, panted to quell the agony, and looked at her. "Sure, let's go. Right now."

"You're in pain and you're bleeding profusely, so I'm going to let that bitchy remark slide," she said as she tried to hand back his sword.

"No, you keep it for now," he said as he froze his own wound. As expected, the bleeding slowed to a standstill. "You may need it more than I do."

Annalise said nothing, but inhaled fearfully. Sub-Zero looked up and saw that once again, Smoke marched towards him relentlessly. "Jesus, he's like the Terminator!" she cried.

"I don't understand that reference," he replied, pushing her out of the way again. "But either way, I'm done playing around."

Smoke said nothing as he threw a punch at Sub-Zero, but the Cryomancer easily deflected it by chopping his arm onto the other's wrist, and then countering with a punch to his visor with his opposite hand. Burning fire spread through his knuckles as the plastic cracked. This prompted the cyber-ninja to throw another punch, but once more, Kuai Liang deflected it and punched him again in the same spot. The cracks in the plastic hissed and popped as they spread. This stunned his opponent, and he staggered back.

But Sub-Zero had Tomas on the ropes now, and had no intentions of letting up. _If I can't save you, I'm going to kill you_, he said in his head as he punched the armor plates protecting his friend's stomach. The black sheets, made of a resilient and flexible fiberglass material, bent inward when he landed the blow, but did no discernible damage. Sub-Zero raised his eyebrows in surprise just as Smoke hit him back, this time in the left temple. The blow was crushing, and he saw more stars as he stumbled to the side, woozy. Tomas reached for him and nearly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, but he darted out of the way and chopped his arm into his back.

Smoke instantly whirled around and punched him in the stomach, knocking him backwards onto the pavement. As Kuai Liang recovered, his breaths coming shallow and painfully, the cyber-ninja charged after him and leapt into the air to tackle his enemy. Sub-Zero immediately lifted his legs and caught his heavy opponent with his feet before the other stomped him, and he easily used his momentum to throw Tomas into the guardrail behind them. Then Kuai Liang scrambled to his feet and bolted to him, delivering another punch to the visor before the stunned cyber-ninja recuperated, grabbed him by the waist, and charged across the bridge with him in his arms. As he ran, Sub-Zero wildly punched his helmet, cracking it more with little ball sized dents.

A moment later, Smoke plowed Kuai Liang into a streetlamp. It knocked the wind out of the ice warrior, but as he slid to the ground wheezing, he continued to throw frenzied punches at his former friend. The cyber-ninja calmly hit him in the chin, and his blow was hard and efficient. Sub-Zero groaned, but kicked his friend in the abdomen and managed to push him away.

He broke free of the pole, but Smoke's strong, cybernetic hands clamped down on his shoulders and threw him head-first into the nearby railing. Exhaustion flooded him, and despair. Smoke really was too strong. He didn't get tired, terrible injuries didn't seem to faze him, and he was unyielding. Sub-Zero quickly tallied his options: suicide, surrender, running. He didn't like any of those choices, but death seemed the most honorable, even if it meant being enslaved by Quan Chi. He pushed himself onto all fours, prepared to commit hari kiri with a kori sword before he lost the fight to his friend and was captured, when he caught sight of Annalise standing nearby.

Her lavender eyes were wild with shock, and she had her hands covering her mouth to hide her expression, but he saw it nonetheless. She was worried about him. As he looked up at her in silence, he realized he wanted a chance to befriend her, to get to know this quirky girl who doted on his mother. And then he remembered Maggie, and how he promised to come back to her in one piece. He couldn't break that vow to her. How could she live knowing her long-lost son had committed suicide rather than fight for his life to the bitter end? How could he do that to her? As if knowing his thoughts, Annalise's hands fell to her sides, and she smiled reassuringly at him. For once, there was no hatred or distrust for him in her eyes, only encouragement. He smiled back and nodded as new strength poured into him. He dug down deep inside and found his last small well of determination, and then he got to his feet and faced his aggressor once more.

"You cannot defeat me. Will you yield?" Smoke's digital voice demanded to know.

"Over my dead body," he challenged.

With that, he drove his palm into Smoke's chin, knocking his head backwards and forcing him to lose his balance. Once again, Sub-Zero leapt into the air and brought his fist into Smoke's visor, this time breaking through the plastic completely. A whoosh of air burst out in a cloudy fog, and through the hole he saw terrible burns gradually healing on his friend's cheek. Smoke wheezed, momentarily stunned by the damage, so the Cryomancer gripped the wires streaming from the back of his friend's head and yanked on them hard. Like a walnut splitting in two, his helmet broke more, so he flailed around, blindly punching the air, to stop Sub-Zero.

But Kuai Liang sensed his friend was finally weakened, and he easily deflected the wild shots before he whirled around Smoke and kneed him in the stomach. This time, the cyber-ninja groaned as his plate armor snapped, and when he recovered, he staggered as he threw a punch at his enemy. Now, however, Sub-Zero spun backwards and caught Smoke in the face with his elbow, breaking out even more plastic and widening the hole. He wasn't finished, though, so he wasted no time driving his fist into Tomas' temple. Shards of plastic flew into the air like confetti, and as he stumbled to the side, Kuai Liang's fists plunged into his guts and then his neck. Finally, he kicked his old friend in the groin and watched triumphantly as the cyber-ninja collapsed into the guardrail.

"Now!" Annalise screamed, prompting Sub-Zero to turn around in time to see Kabal race towards Smoke with a glowing green net, one of Cyrax's by the looks of it. On a sidewalk nearby, the yellow cyber-ninja sparked and twitched on the ground. Kabal quickly draped the net over Kuai Liang's best friend and secured it tightly. There was no way Tomas could escape that, he knew, at least no way that his cybernetic brain could conjure.

He stood over his friend, and saw a familiar gray eye looking up at him through the hole in his visor. It seemed the fight had short-circuited the blue fiber optic lenses implanted in his corneas. So now, though tiny wires were threaded through his sockets, and though his eyeballs bulged from his face like a cartoon, Kuai Liang faintly imagined he saw a glimmer of his former friend in them. The faintest trace of emotion – fear and grief, he thought – raced through those steely orbs, and they almost pleaded with him to do something, what he could not say. But just as quickly as it had come, the emotion was gone, and the fiber optic lenses blinked back on.

And then there was a whoosh, and Stryker sailed on a jet of water over the guardrail with a startled cry. Somehow, his gloved hands caught the slick bars, keeping him from falling into the dirty river below, but they were slippery and his fingers struggled to keep their grip.

"A little help?" he cried as Annalise rushed to him and reached over the railing.

"I've got you!" she yelled as she leaned over and offered her hand. Sub-Zero and Kabal trotted towards them as well, but Hydro was there first, ready to kill his prey.

"Look out!" Kabal warned just as Sub-Zero cried "Annalise!"

The nurse whirled around just as Hydro reached her and grabbed her around the waist, wrapping his mechanized arms across her neck and hips. "Let me go!" she screeched as she flailed about, hitting and kicking him, to no avail. The cyber-ninja reached up with his mechanical hand and grabbed a handful of her long hair, yanking it back violently as if tugging on a horse's reins. She yelped in obvious pain, and stopped thrashing.

Sub-Zero approached cautiously with his hands in the air. "Let her go, Hydro," he ordered. "She's got nothing to do with this."

"You will return with us to the Lin Kuei where you will be automated," the cyber-ninja said dispassionately. "If you do not agree to these terms, I will kill this woman." With that, he raised his free hand where a small cyclone of water whirled from his palm. When Annalise struggled again, he tightened his grip on her throat, choking her until her face started to turn red.

It pissed Sub-Zero off. While fiery rage at the sight of Hydro holding the nurse hostage burned in his heart, cold fury enveloped his fists. It chilled his fingers and hands until thick, white fog roiled from his skin and wafted into the air. He concentrated his powers into his palms where small kori daggers formed in either hand, and as the water that whirled in front of Hydro grew steadily larger, the Cryomancer skillfully threw his weapons at his former sifu.

As expected, they caught the cyber-ninja in the face, cutting through his visor and knocking him backwards into the rail. Annalise fell to the ground and coughed violently when her captor released her, but she was relatively unscathed so she quickly scrambled to her feet. Sub-Zero ignored her for the moment, however, as he watched Hydro lose control of his miniature whirlpool, the churning water falling onto live and sparking electrical wires now exposed because of his enemy's daggers. Instantly, his body tensed and vibrated as it electrocuted him, and within seconds his burning skin began to smoke. A sickly smell rose into the air. After several long moments, it subsided. Hydro was dead.

Kuai Liang turned to Annalise. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Get them!" Kabal yelled as he hoisted Stryker over the guard rail. Sub-Zero looked and saw Cyrax limping towards the portal with Smoke hobbling after him. The remains of the net that bound him sat in cut shreds where he'd been defeated. Evidently, he had a cutting tool of some kind built into his body now. Instantly, Sub-Zero ran after his former clansmen, determined to prevent their escape.

Stryker, soaked and a little worse for the wear, snarled and yelled, "Oh no you don't!" He was much closer, so immediately he gave chase and leapt onto Smoke's shoulders. He wrapped his strong arms around the cyber-ninja's neck, but even wounded he was no match for him, and the Lin Kuei assassin tossed him aside like a rag doll. Then, he calmly walked through the portal a moment before Sub-Zero reached him, and the gateway automatically collapsed on itself with a gust of wind.

"Dammit!" the Cryomancer screamed in frustration.

"He was your friend, wasn't he?" Annalise said quietly as she joined his side. Stryker and Kabal came to his side as well.

"My best friend," he answered solemnly as he looked down at her. A red bruise was forming on her neck, which made him angry at Hydro all over again. "Before the Lin Kuei did _that_ to him. And they won't stop until they do the same to me." He sighed. "I need to find him. For a minute, I thought he recognized me. I mean _really_ recognized me. I think I can save him."

"Well, today's your lucky day then," Stryker announced with a devilish grin on his face.

"Why is that?"

"Because I just planted a bug on him."


	23. All the Little Fires

Sub-Zero took a moment to absorb this information. Stryker had placed a tracking device on Smoke. Finally, he had a way of turning the tables on his old friend. Up until now, he'd been the hunted. Now, with the police officer's help, he could be the hunter. Maybe that was divine providence serving Tomas to him on a platter, or maybe it was just coincidence, but either way, he sincerely thought he had a shot at restoring his friend's soul.

"Thank you," he said to Stryker, who looked as beat up as he felt. He starting walking, beginning his patrol for more of Outworld's invaders. The others followed him down the street.

"Don't mention it," the cop replied as he looked at a small electronic box in his hands. "He's disappeared off the grid that I can see. But if he shows back up, I'll know it right away." Then he turned to Kabal. "So what's your story? Still running around with the Black Dragon?"

"The Black Dragon?" Kuai Liang repeated, anger creeping into his voice. "You're with the Black Dragon?"

"_Was_," Kabal answered in a dangerous tone. "I've recently made a career change."

"Your friends are responsible for what happened to mine!"

"What is he talking about?" Annalise interjected. "Did you have something to do with transforming those men who attacked us?"

Kabal shifted from one foot to the other. "Not me. I was just a gun runner. Smuggling weapons across borders and shit like that. Cybernetic enhancements? You'll want to talk to Kano about that. That was his department."

"I don't know, you look pretty enhanced to me," the Cryomancer hissed as he pointed to the other man's mask.

"Like I said, Kano's handiwork," he explained. "When this invasion began, those Outworld sons-of-bitches torched me and left me to die. He found me. Had a creepy guy named Shang Tsung patch me up so that I'd work for them, but he couldn't fix my lungs, I guess. So Kano implanted this respirator so I could breathe. I found out that asshole pledged support to that Emperor guy, and even gave those Outworld goons guns. The Black Dragon's been a part of some pretty shady shit, believe me. But even this was too much for me. So I decided to jump ship. They didn't appreciate that, so they sent their Lin Kuei lackeys to get me." He faced Stryker. "How'd you recognize me? You haven't seen me since I underwent my little plastic surgery."

"I recognized your hook-swords," the cop answered. "I never met anyone else who fought with them."

"Ah."

"Who is this Emperor? And what is Outworld?" Annalise asked. Kabal quickly brought her and Stryker up to speed, with Sub-Zero filling them in about the tournament, Shao Kahn's claim over Earthrealm, and how he came to join Raiden's task force.

"It's just like Kano to do business with the biggest douchewads he can find, isn't it?" Stryker asked. "He's a real piece of work."

"Why doesn't someone arrest him, then?" Annalise wanted to know.

"He's something of an escape artist," the cop explained. "Believe me, we've tried. Of course, now that Kabal's bailed on him, maybe he can help us put that bastard away once and for all."

"Maybe. But you shouldn't underestimate him," the newcomer said. "I don't know that I'm good enough to outfox him. Then again, I'm a lot faster than I used to be, thanks to Shang Tsung."

As Kuai Liang listened to them talk, he wanted to find this Kano and freeze him into a block of ice, but he had bigger things to worry about at the moment. He looked at Annalise. She was feisty and not easily picked on, would fight if confronted, and he admired her for trying to contribute to their efforts in the brawl with the cyber-ninjas. Unfortunately, he couldn't let her stay. Being close to him right now would only get her killed. She was lucky – _he_ was lucky – Hydro didn't murder her when he grabbed her.

"Annalise," he began, "you need to leave and go back to Rockford. It's not safe for you here."

"I'm not going anywhere," she replied. "I'm in it for the long haul."

"Seriously, I want you to go."

"Tough."

"Dammit, Annalise!" he cried in frustration. "Why do you have to be so stubborn? You saw what those guys were capable of. And there are even worse than that waiting to come through. You're no match for any of them."

"Oh, that's rich coming from the guy who nearly got himself killed fighting the Terminator."

"The Terminator," Kabal chuckled. "Good one."

Sub-Zero grit his teeth. "That's _exactly_ my point," he said. "_I_ nearly got killed. And what would've happened to you if I had? Those guys aren't here on vacation. They're here to enslave or kill every last man, woman, and child, okay? Just please go back to my mother. I don't want her to get hurt, and I don't want you to get hurt either."

"Hey, man, I hate to say it," Kabal began, "but I think she might actually be safer with us than trying to escape the city."

Sub-Zero crossed his arms and glared at the newcomer. "And how do you figure that?" he growled. "I'm pretty sure the monsters aren't in the countryside yet."

"Come on, think about it," he replied. "If she sticks with us, we can at least keep an eye on her. But if she goes off alone, she's bound to run into somebody from Outworld. And she probably won't be able to fend them off."

"Good point," he reluctantly agreed.

"Will you all quit talking about me like I'm some sort of helpless little girl?" Annalise snapped. She crossed her arms defensively as they walked down an eerily empty street.

"It's nothing personal," Kabal told her. "But like your man here says-"

"He's _not _my man," she corrected him abruptly.

"Like he says," the other continued, faintly annoyed with her for interrupting him, "these guys are invading for one reason only. They're not here to take prisoners. They're here to exterminate us. I've seen them. They're bloodthirsty, well-trained warriors. And the cold, hard fact is that _you're_ not trained to take them on."

"Oh, but you are?" she shot back.

"We're a lot better equipped to deal with them than you are. Like I said, I was a gun runner. Pretty dangerous line of work. Stryker's on the SWAT team, and this guy is with the Lin Kuei. An assassin."

Annalise scowled and shot Sub-Zero a disapproving look. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Kabal, I really wish you hadn't told her that," he said as he walked.

"You kill people for a living?" she demanded to know. Her eyebrows furrowed together.

"If it makes you feel any better, I've had a recent career change too," he replied.

"Not really, no," she said drily. She looked around at all the men. "Well, I don't care what any of you think. I'm staying in the city. If this is really as bad as you say, then people will need me. I may not be a cop or a thug for hire, but I _am_ a nurse and I can help people too."

"Fine, you can stay," Sub-Zero conceded. "But please, just…stick close to me. Don't go wandering off."

Annalise opened her mouth to argue – he could see it clearly in the defiant expression in her eyes – but she stifled it. Instead, she said, "Okay. We all stick together."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he said with a touch of condescension in his voice. "Now, we need to keep to the shadows, and we need to stay quiet. No idle chit-chat. I'm not exactly happy that we've been noisy and walking out in the open so far. With any luck, no invaders have seen us." He quickly headed to the nearest alley, which was bathed in darkness, and they followed him. He waited for the nurse to file directly behind him. He wanted to keep her close and between fighters, not straggling at the end where some monster, assassin, or sorcerer could easily pick her off from the herd.

For a few hours, the group stayed hidden in the shadows as they patrolled Manhattan, only emerging long enough to battle the monsters they encountered. Kabal was right; they were armed with Earthrealm weapons, courtesy of Kano. Apart from large-caliber military-issue machine guns, Sub-Zero saw them carry things like flamethrowers and rocket launchers, and use them indiscriminately against any humans they encountered. Half the buildings were now either rubble or ash as a result. But thankfully, these beasts – which included centaurs, humanoid reptiles, and bald men with ungodly fangs – were relatively stupid and posed no real trouble for the warriors. While the men fought, Annalise scurried around to help the wounded.

After Sub-Zero, Stryker, and Kabal easily dispatched a group of the half-crazed bald invaders, the Cryomancer found her holding a child in her arms nearby. The invaders, armed with machine guns, sprayed a crowd of people fleeing from them with gunfire before the Earthrealm fighters could stop them. Now, this little girl riddled with bullets lay bleeding to death in the nurse's arms, her parents dead nearby. Annalise tenderly pressed her palm onto as many of the wounds as she could, but there were just too many, and the girl's crimson blood spurted uncontrollably through her fingers. Stryker radioed for an ambulance on his walkie-talkie, but everyone knew it was no use. It was miraculous the kid had survived this long. So Annalise merely held her to comfort her.

"It hurts," the girl croaked, gurgling on her own blood.

Annalise immediately stroked her hair, which had been braided in small cornrows behind each ear. "I know, Tasha," she whispered as she kissed the child's forehead, struggling to hold back tears. Evidently, she learned the girl's name while the men were fighting. "But it's going to be okay soon. You'll see."

Sub-Zero knew she was lying through her teeth – everything would _not_ be okay for the child – but somehow, he believed her anyway. Annalise's voice, gentle and calm, soothed him as if it were a healing balm to his soul. But that was silly, he decided, just a product of his imagination and whatever the hell was wrong with him since he first met her earlier that day. Still, he looked over to Kabal and Stryker, who seemed more serene and peaceful as well in spite of the grim situation. Maybe he _wasn't_ imaging things.

Indeed, Tasha, who couldn't have been more than eight years old, relaxed as well as she looked into Annalise's eyes. "I like SpongeBob," she choked, weakly pointing to the yellow sponge on the nurse's scrubs. Then her arm flopped down once again.

"I like him too," she replied. But it was too late. Tasha's eyes blankly fixed on the darkening sky above. There was no last breath, no struggle. There was nothing. And she was gone. Sub-Zero sighed and looked over at his new comrades; Kabal was looking at his feet and Stryker was rubbing his eyes with his grubby fingers.

Annalise could no longer contain her tears as she rested the girl's head on the sidewalk and then got to her feet, wiping the still-wet blood on her scrubs. But she saw the men staring at her, so in embarrassment she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. She accidentally smeared a little blood on her cheek, but she didn't seem to notice it, and instead cleared her throat loudly.

"Let's go," she said, her voice wavering. "There's nothing more I can do."

"Hey, you did everything you could," Stryker said. "You have nothing to feel bad about."

Her cheeks flushed red with rage. "I have nothing to feel bad about?" she yelled. "A baby just died in my arms because of these…these _things, _but I have nothing to feel bad about? I should kick your ass, you donut holder!"

"I only meant-"

"What? You only meant what? That in a town of ten million people, losing one kid is no big loss?" she retorted. "I mean, so what? The world's ending anyway. So it doesn't really matter if she never gets to go to college, drive a car, get married, or have kids. Her life was over!"

Annalise lunged at Stryker, but Kuai Liang caught her in his arms and pulled her close. He thought she'd fight him, but instead, she surprised him when she let him wrap his arms around her and hold her while she started to cry. He knew her rage was misplaced, that everything she screamed at the cop was everything she was inwardly screaming at herself. Even though she was a nurse and probably accustomed to death, he found himself admiring her more for still caring about the losses. In professions like his and hers, death had a way of numbing a person inside, of forming a hard callous over the soul. Until he killed Oscar a couple of weeks ago, he had been indifferent to it. That she still felt terrible about death, and the death of a complete stranger no less, endeared her to him even more.

Suddenly, a loud beeping sound chirped from Stryker's black cargo pants. He immediately opened a flap on his upper thigh and pulled an electronic box from the pocket, the same one he'd held earlier when he'd informed everyone he'd bugged Smoke. Small and roughly the size of a cell phone, a short antenna jutted from the top, transmitting the signal to the greenish screen built into the faceplate. As Kabal stepped to him for a closer look, he held the gadget close to his face and studied what he saw.

"Your buddy is back in Earthrealm," he declared. "Looks like he's in a subway station not too far from here."

"A subway station?" Annalise asked as she dried her eyes again and pushed Sub-Zero away. "What could he possibly be doing there?"

"Maybe he's sabotaging it," Kabal suggested. "To strand people or kill people. What do you want to bet a lot of people are hiding out down there?"

"Whatever he's up to, we have to stop him," Kuai Liang announced. "Lead us to him, Stryker."

The policeman, careful to keep a decent distance between himself and Annalise, led them down a couple of streets until they reached a staircase marked 'Cathedral Parkway 110 Street Station'. In the distance, they saw several portals hovering over Central Park, and hundreds of Outworld fighters leaping through, prompting people close by to scream loudly and stampede in the opposite direction. Sub-Zero thought about going after the warriors instead of Smoke, but decided to stick with the present plan instead. He could take care of the fighters when their numbers had thinned, but he may not get another chance to capture Tomas. So when Stryker looked back at him to see what he wanted to do, he pointed down to the stairs.

"Let me take the lead," he said quietly. "You two, follow me. Annalise, you stay to the rear, and if I tell you to run, don't stand there and argue with me. You _run_."

"All right," she conceded, a lot more agreeable now than she had been just a few hours prior.

Sub-Zero nodded at all of them before he crept down the stairs with them in tow. A fluorescent light buzzed loudly overhead when he went underground, masking whatever sound, however faint, he made with his feet. He followed the tunnel deeper in, cautiously peeking around corners until at last, he led his group to the platform decorated in white tiles and a blue mosaic that read '110th Street Cathedral P'kway'. He immediately spotted Sektor and Smoke kneeling over the train tracks, with Smoke's body attached to the outermost steel rail by a fiber optic cable that pulsed electric blue intermittently. The Cryomancer ducked behind the corner and motioned for Kabal and Stryker to take a look. They obliged, peering around just long enough to survey the scene.

"He's connected to the third rail," Stryker said with his face wrinkled in confusion. "I don't know how the hell he can withstand the juice."

"Maybe the Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robot needs to recharge," Kabal suggested. "He seemed to expend a lot of energy trying to capture you, Sub-Zero."

"I don't know, he said he had an endless supply of energy," the Cryomancer said. "But then again, nothing, not even a machine, has an endless supply of energy." He looked around the corner once again. As high voltage electricity flowed into his friend, Sektor punched buttons on Smoke's body as if programming him. Perhaps Tomas, who was still in a terrible state of disrepair from their recent fight, had shorted out somehow. As he watched, he noticed how the damaged cyber-ninja slumped forward, almost as if he were in a sleep mode of sorts. Smoke didn't seem to notice when Sektor punched buttons on his own armor, prompting a small drill to emerge from his index finger, and then began repairing his subordinate's body.

Sub-Zero looked back at his group. "This is too weird. He's like a gigantic toy now, not a person. It's like watching a mechanic repair a car."

Annalise, who was pressed against the tiled wall as tightly as she could make herself, looked at him with eyes full of empathy. "I'm sorry," she said softly before looking at her feet.

"What do you want to do?" Kabal asked. "Your friend looks like he's been turned off for the moment. So that just leaves the other dude."

"Sektor," Kuai Liang said with venom in his voice. He hated that son of a bitch, and his goddamn father. If not for them, none of this would have happened.

"Shit!" Stryker whispered. He had taken another turn spying, but now he leapt back.

"What?" Annalise said. "Did they see you?"

"No, the red guy found the tracking device. He just destroyed it."

"Dammit, now he knows we're onto him," Sub-Zero announced. "Okay, this is what we're gonna do. Kabal, you run in there and create a diversion. Stryker, you try to get the jump on him while I deal with Smoke. Whatever you do, keep Sektor distracted. Smoke's going to be hard enough to capture, I think."

"But he's in sleep mode," Stryker argued.

"I can't say for sure that he is," Kuai Liang whispered. "On my mark, we move. Annalise, stay put."

"Aye, aye, Captain," she joked as she half-heartedly saluted him.

He faintly smiled at her and then crept to the corner and looked around. Sektor continued working, only glancing up occasionally to look around before returning to Smoke's repairs. After the red cyber-ninja looked up the most recent time, Sub-Zero held up his open hand, his fingers rigid and straight. When he sensed the best time to strike, he balled his hand up into a tight fist and silently shook it forward to indicate it was time for Kabal to move.

On cue, the speedy warrior took off running, his blur barely visible to the naked human eye, and caught Sektor in the neck with one of his hook-swords. He tossed the cyber-ninja into the white column, catching him completely off guard, and broken bits of ceramic and dust rained onto his head as he slumped onto the platform floor. Now Stryker and Sub-Zero lunged from their hiding spots, the cop racing towards his prey firing his .9 millimeter at Sektor's head. The bullets harmlessly ricocheted off his helmet, so Stryker returned his gun to his holster and yanked out his nightstick instead.

Sub-Zero, meanwhile, ran to Smoke. Oblivious to his presence, the cyber-ninja did not react as the Cryomancer frantically searched for a way to unhook his friend from the third rail. Unsure of what touching Tomas would do to him, he was afraid to start pressing buttons with his bare hands. But time was a luxury he didn't have, so he stifled his concerns and grabbed his friend's arm, the one he severed only a few days prior. Nothing happened. Thankfully for him, Smoke's armor must have been insulated.

He started punching buttons, not knowing what any of them did, but hoping one of them proved to be the magic one. After a few unsuccessful tries, Sub-Zero laughed triumphantly when the umbilical cord attached to the third rail released itself and retracted into his friend's shin. But to his immediate surprise, Smoke came alive once more, the computers and mechanisms in his body whirring loudly as his systems rebooted. Without warning, the cyber-ninja gripped his throat and threw him into the wall behind the train tracks. Sub-Zero crashed to the ground, barely missing the third rail himself as he landed.

The Cryomancer staggered to his feet, preparing for another titanic battle with Tomas, but the cyber-ninja, perhaps knowing he was vulnerable due to his extensive damage, did not offer to fight. Instead, he backed away. Then, he pressed a button on his wrist and disappeared with a loud, electronic pop. Sub-Zero looked around, thinking his friend had become invisible as was his gift, but Smoke never reappeared. Angrily, he beat his fist into the wall, sending chunks of plaster and tile into the air.

But he didn't waste much time with that because Sektor was proving to be too powerful for Kabal and Stryker to handle. Kuai Liang saw the red cyber-ninja sail through the air on rockets and catch the cop's nightstick in his palm before swinging it at him like a bat and sending him flying. While the policeman staggered to his feet, Kabal took off running to distract Sektor, weaving in and out of the support pillars, but the latter did not chase him, and instead began firing missiles from his gauntlets while he hovered in the air.

The missiles couldn't keep up with Kabal's speed, however, and they crashed into the pillars in deafening explosions that rained more dust and debris onto the fighters. Bits of wood splintered through the air, and above them, Sub-Zero heard a sickening groan like the Earth belching echo through the subway platform. A moment later, more debris began to flutter down from the ceiling as a dull rumble began to shake the tunnel.

"Well, _that's_ not good," Kuai Liang muttered to himself.

Then he bolted to the platform and leapt onto it from the tracks, joining the fight. He immediately sprayed a shower of ice at Sektor, blinding him long enough to force him to land and for Kabal to race by and grab him with his hook-sword. The hairpin hook expertly caught the cyber-ninja by his armor, ripping off the plate that protected his right armpit and ribs, sending it to the concrete with a dull clatter. While Sektor staggered around, slightly disoriented, Sub-Zero charged towards him as he sprayed the ground in his path with ice, forming a slide. His momentum propelled him straight into the cyber-ninja, who fell to the ground with a startled, digital cry.

Like a wounded animal, he lashed back, scarcely giving Sub-Zero enough time to leap out of the way before he was back on his feet and firing a flamethrower at the Cryomancer and Stryker. With lightning-quick reflexes, Kuai Liang threw up an ice shield to protect them from the white-hot flames, but even still the searing heat scorched their skin slightly as it instantly melted the barrier. In what Sub-Zero could only imagine was frustration, Sektor yelled and then fired more missiles at the pair, but these missiles seemed fixed on them. Both men scrambled out of the way just as the ordnance exploded at their feet, sending them backwards on a shockwave of energy that caused the cave-in to accelerate. They landed in front of Annalise, who leapt from her hiding spot to help them.

"This whole place is ready to collapse!" she cried as she helped Sub-Zero sit. Dazed, he thought her voice sounded as if she had spoken underwater. He looked up in time to see Kabal throw a gas grenade full of a purple chemical at his nemesis, but to no avail. Sektor's helmet shielded him from the weapon.

"You need to get out of here," Stryker coughed as he sat up. Blood streamed from an ear.

"He's right," Kuai Liang agreed as she helped him to his feet. He was so tired, but he wasn't about to let Sektor get away too. "Get up to the street level, Annalise. Before this place collapses."

"Not unless you all come with me," she argued.

"You said you wouldn't argue," he replied. "So go!" He gently pushed her shoulder to encourage her to move, and though she set her jaw angrily and narrowed her eyes, she reluctantly trotted back the way they came.

By that point, Kabal had somehow managed to thread his hook-swords beneath Sektor's armpits, and used them to spin the cyber-ninja around before slamming him face-first into the floor. Their enemy was only stunned momentarily, however, before his rocket boosters flared up once more, propelling him upward so that he could drive his fist into Kabal's jaw. With a pained cry, their ally crumpled to the ground unconscious.

Stryker wasted no time throwing a flash-bang grenade at Sektor. Whereas Kabal's chemical bomb had no effect on the cyber-ninja, the cop's weapon produced a blinding and deafening flash that stunned him long enough for Sub-Zero to retrieve their fallen comrade. As he hoisted his teammate onto his shoulder, he used his free hand to freeze Sektor's feet into place. He watched in satisfaction as a blue-white sheen crept up and enveloped his red shins, gluing them into place long enough for Stryker to tase him beneath his exposed armpit. With a computerized scream, Sektor's body spasmed a long moment before he collapsed completely.

"Grab him!" Sub-Zero barked, and the cop obeyed. They hauled the unconscious men from the subway platform as the ceiling collapsed on them faster now, with bigger chunks dropping around them like flies. The Cryomancer hurried, as did the policeman, but with the added weight, the going was slow. They barely reached the threshold of safety before the whole thing caved in completely, burying the tunnel with the street from above.

"Thank God you guys are okay!" Annalise yelled as she ran to them.

"I thought I told you to go to the street," Sub-Zero responded as he lowered Kabal to the ground and propped him against the wall.

"Yeah, like _that_ was gonna happen," she said as she rolled her eyes. She promptly knelt beside Kabal and felt his wrist for a pulse. "How'd he get knocked out?" she asked.

"He took one right on the chin," Stryker explained.

"Awesome," she said sarcastically. Then she sighed heavily.

"Why?" Sub-Zero wanted to know.

"Because he could have a neck injury." Annalise pressed the knuckle side of a balled up fist into Kabal's sternum and rubbed fiercely. A bright red streak formed on his scarred skin, but he immediately woke up, looking around in utter confusion. "Welcome back," she greeted. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride," he said a moment later, after he spotted Sektor on the ground nearby. "But there are worse things, I guess."

"Just a few," she said with a knowing smirk.

"Hey, guys, I've got something," Stryker announced as he leaned over the cyber-ninja's unconscious body. He had opened up an access panel on Sektor's chest and was busy poking around inside. Sub-Zero and the others joined him and looked inside. There was a small, high definition computer screen and keyboard lodged in his ribcage.

"Well, now I've seen everything," Kabal muttered.

"Ditto," Annalise added.

"What have you found?" Sub-Zero asked Stryker.

"I've managed to access his command directory, and I've decrypted his files so that we can see what he's been up to. Look." The policeman pressed a button, prompting video to play on the screen. They all immediately spotted footage, presumably from Sektor's point of view, of the cyber-ninjas, Noob Saibot, and Scorpion ushering human captives to a graveyard nearby. The Cryomancer stiffened when he saw his brother forcibly yank a struggling woman to a large marble mausoleum where all the other prisoners were being held in place by a mysterious green force-field.

"Where is that?"

"General Grant National Memorial. It's not too far from here. See? That's President Grant's tomb."

"What are they doing to those people?" Annalise asked, a look of horror on her face.

"His keyboard is in English, but his memory is written in Chinese," Stryker explained. "I have no idea what the hell that's about, but good luck trying to decipher what it means."

"Basically, we're up the shit creek without a paddle?" Kabal said.

"Basically."

"Good thing I can read Chinese," Kuai Liang stated as he studied the words stamped at the bottom. "It says Quan Chi needs all the human captives to be taken to the tomb."

"Why?"

"It doesn't say. If Quan Chi's involved, he probably didn't want anyone else to know. It just says the cyber-ninjas are under orders not to kill the prisoners because he needs them alive."

"Are they still rounding people up?" Kabal wanted to know.

"It looks like." Sub-Zero looked at his new team. "We have to go there and rescue those people. Whatever Quan Chi's up to, you can rest assured it's no good."

"Okay, but what do we do about Chuckles the Clown, here?" Stryker asked. "We can't just leave him."

"Can you deactivate him somehow?" Annalise asked.

"Can a duck swim?"

"Turning him off isn't good enough," Kabal announced. "If someone turns him back on, he'll be back to this kind of bullshit."

"Well, I can program him with a virus," the policeman said. "That way, if someone turns him on again, it will destroy his protocols and he'll be nothing more than a very large, and probably very expensive, paperweight."

"Do it," Sub-Zero commanded.

"You're the boss." His fingers began flying over the keys.

"How is it you know so much about computers?" Annalise asked.

He smiled as he worked. "Well, honey, I have a Bachelor's degree in computer science. I only became a cop because it was more fun than sitting in a cubicle looking at lines of code day after day."

Sub-Zero bristled in annoyance when Stryker called her 'honey,' but he kept his irritation to himself.

"Can you do one more thing to him?" she wanted to know.

"Maybe."

"Will you create a sub-routine that makes him do the robot dance when he wakes up? I mean, right before his circuits fry?"

Kabal burst out laughing. He looked at Sub-Zero. "Hey, man, if she's not your girl, then I'm making her mine. I like the way she thinks." She looked at them with ornery eyes and shrugged as she laughed. The Cryomancer was not amused, however, and mentally willed ice daggers at Kabal's masked face.

"Done and done!" Stryker declared. As he spoke, Sektor's systems blinked off one by one until every light bulb that illuminated him from within was dark. All the mechanical parts stopped whirring as well.

"Good. Now let's get to the graveyard," Sub-Zero ordered.


	24. The Soulnado

Darkness had settled on the city by the time Sub-Zero's small band of fighters reached General Grant National Memorial, and the pale reddish glow of fire reflected off the clouds of smoke billowing into the air. Electricity flickered through half-destroyed buildings and the irritating wail from countless car alarms shrieked into the night. There was incessant screaming, and there was the faint sound of glass breaking and cars crashing. Dead bodies littered the streets, viciously mauled or gunned down. The humans that still lived scattered like cockroaches to flee from the monsters that hunted them. It was bedlam on a scale the Cryomancer had never even heard of before, and he found to his surprise that he feared for these strangers' lives. He hoped he could, with the help of his new teammates, drive out the invaders before Earthrealm became just like Outworld.

Outside of President Grant's tomb, Quan Chi stood with Noob Saibot reciting words in a language Sub-Zero's group could barely hear let alone understand. The rag-tag team crouched beneath an oak tree on the other side of the memorial's piazza, approximately a hundred feet from the front of the tomb. Shadows concealed them from detection, and they watched in horror as the sorcerer conjured his spell. An eerie ethereal cord tied at least a hundred people in a perfect circle before him, and in the center of the captives, a pillar of ghastly green energy shot into the sky hundreds of feet per second. It completely enveloped the marble monument, gradually chipping away at the white stone with each passing moment. It chewed up bits of the building and the surrounding trees like a noisy tornado, and ground them into instant dust when it swallowed them into its swirling power. It did the same to the screaming prisoners the second it brushed against them, sickening the Cryomancer as it swept their bodies away.

Sub-Zero focused on Stryker, swallowing his nausea. "We need to try to get a hold of my teammate, Sonya Blade. I don't have a way to communicate with any of them. But she and her partner, Major Jackson Briggs, both have radios. Think you could try to find one of them on yours?"

"I'll give it a shot," the policeman replied. He twisted the radio channel to two, pressed a button on the side, and spoke into it. "If anyone's listening on this frequency, this is Lieutenant Kurtis Stryker with the NYPD. I'm trying to find Sonya Blade. Please respond." Nobody answered, so he repeated a few times. When he still didn't get a response, he moved on to channel three, and then four. Finally, after repeating his message a few times on channel seven, a haughty female voice cut through the air.

"This is Sonya Blade. Who's talking again, please?"

"Lieutenant Kurtis Stryker with the NYPD," he said.

"Hey, Barney Fife," she began, "the military is using this frequency. Get off it now or I'll personally find you and beat your ass so hard you'll need a shoehorn to put your hat on."

Sub-Zero didn't have time for her crap. With an irritated grunt, he grabbed the radio from the flabbergasted cop's hand and squeezed the button. "Hey, Sonya," he started, "your _teammate_ is the one who told the policeman to call you because you didn't give the rest of us radios to communicate. I have something urgent to report, so I suggest you shut that big mouth of yours for once and listen up. Or I could just go on my merry way, and that would be fine by me too."

"Sub-Zero?" her surprised voice replied. "We've been looking everywhere for you. Everyone's regrouped at the church. What's left of it, that is."

"Do you want my report or not?" he said impatiently.

"What do you got for us?"

"I'm with a couple of other people at General Grant's National Memorial," he explained. "Quan Chi and Noob Saibot are both here. It looks like Quan Chi's casting a spell or something. He's created some sort of energy field, and he's feeding people to it."

There was silence at first, but she finally replied. "Raiden says it's a soulnado."

"What the hell is a soulnado?" Kabal asked, looking at the other men. Sub-Zero hadn't noticed until now that the ex-Black Dragon operative had rested a hand on Annalise and was rubbing her back gently while she peered around the oak tree at the sorcerer. The Cryomancer stiffened and glared at the man. Kabal was seriously starting to make him mad. _You either move your hand or I'm going to make you_, he thought to himself, trying to will the other man to hear his mental threat. It didn't work.

"What's a soulnado?" Sub-Zero barked into the radio as he felt his icy power surge just beneath his skin. He tried to will it away, telling himself he couldn't turn this man into an ice cube just yet because he had proven useful in a fight and he still needed his help, but the coldness in his palms ignored his commands. Fog began to waft from his skin.

"Basically, it's going to be what gives Shao Kahn his power when he gets here."

"Then we need to destroy it and stop Quan Chi," he said, shaking an ice-charged hand to warm it. A puzzled expression crossed Annalise's face when she saw it, and she looked at him with questioning eyes as she sat on her knees.

"Pretty much."

"I'll report back to you when we're done. That is, if Quan Chi doesn't kill us first," he announced. He started to hand the radio back to Stryker, but heard a low crackling sound and saw that a sheen of ice was spreading over it. It quickly turned into a solid block.

Stryker snatched it from him, frowning. "Dude, what the hell did you do that for?"

Sub-Zero grunted, but couldn't answer the man. He hadn't involuntarily frozen anything since he was a thirteen and Sektor tripped him in the hallway one day. He instantly fell into a pedestal that propped up a priceless antique statue of Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor of China, and knocked the jade bust to the ground. It smashed into pieces, and even though he had insisted it was Sektor's fault, An Zhi beat him with a bamboo shoot for his clumsiness. Later that evening, when he lay on his stomach on his mat because it was too painful to sleep on his lacerated back, Kuai Liang seethed in anger at the injustice of it all. He had rested his chin on his folded knuckles, and suddenly found that the tightly woven reeds were frozen beneath his fingers.

"Hey, man, are you all right?" Kabal asked, finally withdrawing his hand.

"I'm a lot better now," he snarled.

"Well, I'm not," Stryker announced. "That woman was a shrew, and I'm not exactly itching to talk to her again, but now we have no way to call anyone for back-up if we need it."

"Then I guess we better not need it," Sub-Zero snapped, still angry with Kabal and not understanding why the sight of him touching Annalise pissed him off so much. It wasn't like he and she were good friends or anything. He had only just met her. Perhaps he was just exhausted. He hadn't slept for days, and had taken several bad beatings during that time. He inhaled deeply to calm himself, and then he looked at his partners. "This won't be like fighting any of the cyber-ninjas, even Sektor. This will be worse. Much worse."

"Naturally," the policeman said sarcastically.

"And we won't be able to sneak up on them like we did Sektor and Smoke. I don't really know much about Quan Chi, but I can tell you that Noob has ears like a bat. At least he did when he was alive." He closed his eyes, not enjoying the outpouring of pain in his heart at the sight of his brother. He glanced at his brother wistfully. Noob's attention was still focused on the soulnado.

"So how do you want to approach them?" Kabal asked.

"We confront them head-on."

"Did you mean what you said?" Annalise asked timidly, looking at the sorcerer and the wraith in fear. "I mean, what you told Sonya about Quan Chi. You sounded certain he was going to kill you guys."

"I was dead serious," he replied. "He probably _will _kill us."

She knitted her eyebrows together in worry. "Then why don't you get your friends to come help you fight him? You know, to even the odds? They're at the church, right? I could go tell them you need help."

Sub-Zero knelt on one knee directly in front of her. "Annalise, even if I let you go on that fool's errand, there isn't enough time. And if there was, I still wouldn't let you go alone. So no. Banish the thought."

"But-"

"No. End of discussion. If I get killed, I get killed. It wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to me this week." Sub-Zero paused, noting her blatant unhappiness, and then rested both his hands on her shoulders. "I realize that you have a mind of your own and that it's extremely stubborn, but for your sake, will you please listen to me when I tell you to stay here?"

"But-"

"No buts, Annalise. This is important." He shook her gently to reiterate his point. "You _cannot _be seen. These two make the cyber-ninjas look like nothing, believe me. If anything happens to us, you don't try to help us. You run. Do you understand me?" He wasn't certain what Noob would do to her if he caught her, but he could trust with every fiber of his being that Quan Chi would do terrible things to her before he killed her, if he even gave her that one small mercy. The thought disturbed Sub-Zero, and he shook the nurse again.

"Yes, but-"

"I mean it, Annalise. You go back to Rockford, you get my mother out, and you hide. Stick to the shadows, and don't stop for anyone else. Say that you'll do what I say." Kuai Liang stared deeply into her eyes to coax out a promise.

"All right," she reluctantly agreed, frowning as he nodded in satisfaction and then let her go.

Quickly, he removed his scabbard and handed his kitana to her. "Take this," he said. "So you have something to defend yourself with in case you have to run."

"But won't you need it to fight those guys?"

"I have my powers, so I'll be okay," he said. "But don't go looking for fights with this thing. That'll draw lots of unnecessary attention that you definitely don't want. Only use it as a last resort."

"Okay," she said as she pulled the scabbard's leather strap over her arm.

"Come on," he then said to the men as they got to their feet. She stood up as well and peeked around the tree to watch them as they left their hiding spot.

"Good luck," she whispered loudly to them.

"You know she's not going to listen to you," Kabal said quietly when they were out of earshot.

"I know," Kuai Liang replied. She was just too headstrong. But he hoped that he and the other men defeated their enemies before she had a chance to break her promise.

Sub-Zero led the way across the concrete courtyard and was flanked on either side by the two other men. Stryker checked his .9 mil's cartridge as they walked, and satisfied that his gun was fully loaded, he turned off the safety and held it tightly with both hands, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Kabal, meanwhile, had his hook-swords out and tightly clutched in his hands. The Cryomancer readied himself for battle as well, summoning his powers to the surface, ignoring the white clouds that formed around his fists. There was the temptation to freeze his comrade into a block of ice, but he ignored it and focused instead on the sorcerer before him.

"You're too late," Quan Chi called to them, his deep voice booming over the noise generated by the soulnado's cyclonic winds. He had noticed them almost immediately when they stepped into the open, and he whirled to face them. "The merging of the realms is nearly complete. Earthrealm is all but defeated."

"Don't count us out just yet," Sub-Zero countered.

"Capture them," the sorcerer ordered Noob, who immediately marched towards them like a dog on command.

"You guys deal with Quan Chi," he said to his comrades. "I'll take this one." His partners instantly broke away and headed towards the pale man tattooed with red symbols and attacked. Kabal took off running in a blur while Stryker began firing his gun at the sorcerer's head.

Meanwhile, the Cryomancer and his brother circled each other in a deadly dance, their faces bathed in sickly green light. He eyed Bi-han up and down, still not quite able to comprehend his transformation from human to wraith, and it saddened him to see the person he always looked up to reduced to a demon slave. Himavat had said Kuai Liang could still help Bi-han, but as he stared at the deathly black figure before him, he couldn't begin to imagine how. A tarry shadow lurked behind Noob, and Sub-Zero knew from experience it was a sentient creature somehow fused to his older brother's soul. He wondered if the key to freeing Bi-han was to sever his connection to the dark figure.

"I don't want to fight you, Bi-han," he stated. "But I will if I have to."

Noob chuckled, his voice replicated into many. "Those are the words of someone who is afraid. Have you no dignity, Kuai Liang?"

"Who are you to talk to me about dignity when you ran away from our last fight like a coward once I defeated you?" Sub-Zero vaguely thought of the way he snapped in Shao Kahn's arena when he'd discovered what had happened to his brother, and how his berserk rage gave him the strength to beat both Noob and Scorpion to a pulp. Even now, he wondered if Bi-han's killer had managed to sew himself back together yet. But his anger towards his brother, that fury he felt in Outworld, had long since passed, and now there was only sorrow filling the void that his older sibling left in his heart. Kuai Liang sincerely didn't want to fight him.

"I took pity on you, but it will not happen again," the wraith declared.

"It wasn't pity. I bested you. For once, I was the better brother."

"You can never be better than me," Noob hissed in a multitude of voices. "You are weak."

"I left the Lin Kuei," Kuai Liang announced. "I did what you couldn't. I did what you were too afraid to do. You? You're just a dog on Quan Chi's leash. _You're_ the one who's weak, Bi-han."

His brother laughed demonically before he attacked, and he and his shadow threw their arms into the air as one, summoning dark magic that conjured a tarry puddle beneath Sub-Zero's feet. Immediately, the younger brother plummeted through the portal, falling from the sky above a moment later. He landed on his back on the white cement tiles with a loud crack and then gasped for air as fire coursed through his body and stole his breath.

Noob chuckled. "You're right about one thing, Kuai Liang," he began. "You'll be damned."

Sub-Zero glanced over at Stryker and Kabal's fight with Quan Chi. They weren't dead yet, thankfully, and they were holding their own against the sorcerer for the time being. He saw the cop bust out his taser and lunge at their enemy just as Kabal tossed a canister of that purple chemical into his face. Confident they had the situation under control, he returned his attention to his brother as he climbed to his feet, coughing a little as he recovered his wind.

"I found our mother," he announced, but Noob's shadow instantly ran him over like a freight train, knocking him backwards onto the concrete before coming around for a second pass. But before it could trample him another time, the Cryomancer threw a ball of ice, and this time it hit the figure. He didn't expect his powers to work on this hellish creature tethered to his brother, but to his pleasant surprise the ice expanded and consumed Noob's doppelganger until it was frozen into place. Sub-Zero laughed triumphantly as he rolled to his feet.

"She's here, Brother," he continued. "But Sarah isn't. Our father took her the night he took us, and he did something with her. Did you know that?"

Noob said nothing, but his milky white eyes seemed to soften with faint concern. The moment passed quickly, however, and he narrowed them and barked through his black mask, "Save your breath, Kuai Liang. I do not care for either of them."

"They're our family!" he exploded. How could Bi-han say that to him after spending a lifetime talking about finding them one day? He thought, after Himavat insisted that finding his mother would save his brother, Noob would surely be overjoyed at the news.

"Dead men have no families," was his bitter reply. Then he chuckled cruelly.

"Is that what I'm supposed to tell her when she asks where you are?" he demanded to know. He felt like a fool for listening to the Elder God.

"You tell that wretched quim whatever you want to tell her," he sneered.

Sub-Zero flooded with instant rage. Their mother deserved better than to be called such a derogatory name, especially from her older son. He roared and charged at Noob, kicking his leg straight ahead of him and catching the wraith in his groin. His brother stumbled, but reflexively swung a powerful fist at his face, and he promptly ducked. Then he lunged forward and caught the nose-guard on the other's facemask with a loud punch.

The Cryomancer didn't wait for Bi-han to recover from the blow before he gracefully swung his leg up in a precise arch that caught the other's face and knocked him backwards. When he planted his combat boot on the ground once again, he sprang off it and caught his brother in the ribs with his other foot. Noob groaned in an abundance of voices as he staggered away, but Sub-Zero wasn't through yet. He bolted towards his stunned opponent and leapt into the air like a tiger pouncing on his prey, but this time his brother was ready for him and caught him in both arms before he threw him to the ground with a labored grunt.

Now Noob had the upper hand, and kicked Kuai Liang in the gut while he was down. The Cryomancer half-choked on his own vomit as pain exploded in his stomach, but he quickly scrambled to his feet and managed to knock Noob's leg away with his palm when the other tried to kick him in the shin to hobble him. He spun around with the motion, unable to stop because of his speed, but he sensed his brother lunging at him. Using his momentum to his advantage, he leaned forward onto his hands like an Olympic sprinter and threw a leg backwards like a horse kicking its owner. Noob flew to the ground, giving Sub-Zero time to face him again.

With lightning speed, Bi-han recovered and threw a punch at the Cryomancer's face, but Kuai Liang deflected the blow and threw his own punch back, catching his brother in the eye orbit and jarring his head to the side. Quickly, he tried to hit him again, but this time Noob grabbed his fist, twisted it behind his back, and smashed his head into the back of his younger sibling's skull. Blue and red stars burst through Kuai Liang's vision as his older brother jerked his arm back farther, tugging violently and threatening to dislocate his shoulder. He heard his joints pop and stretch loudly, and he knew he had to get out of the hold fast. With a determined shout, Sub-Zero charged forward a step before he flipped up and back, sailing over Noob's head and pulling his arm free. Before the wraith even realized what had happened, the Cryomancer landed behind him and swept his legs from beneath him.

Bi-han toppled to the cement, and Kuai Liang angrily reached for him. But without warning, something bound his arms to his waist and jerked him backwards powerfully. He crashed into the ground and accidentally rolled onto his belly just as he realized he had been caught by a bola snare made from ethereal red energy. Sub-Zero struggled against it, but much like Cyrax's net, it seemed to get tighter the more he moved. He stopped wiggling and frantically tried to puzzle out a solution, but he heard soft footsteps walking towards him. A few seconds later, a small but strong hand gripped his jacket and yanked him to his feet before throwing him onto his back immediately in front of the soulnado. Above him stood Sareena.


	25. The Truth Shall Set You Free

"Let's see you get out of that, tall, dark, and broody," she teased as she planted her hands on her hips triumphantly.

"You better hope I don't because you're the first person I'm coming after if I do," he shot back. "I _knew_ you were lying when you said you wanted to help me."

"Now, that hurts my feelings, baby," she said. "What I told you was true. Mostly. I just left out some important details."

"I'm going to kill you, you She-devil!" He suddenly remembered Smoke, and how his friend had warned him about her before he was captured. "Tomas was right about you," he hissed, wishing he'd listened to his inner voice when it told him to kill her the last time he saw her.

She cackled as Noob stood behind her. "You know, I couldn't wait for you to see what your pals did to him, Kuai Liang, so when Quan Chi asked me to make sure you wound up in New York, I was more than happy to lead him to you."

Sub-Zero managed to sit up, even though the large balls dangling from the end of the glowing red cord were a lot heavier than they looked. "What are you talking about?" he growled.

"Do you really think it was chance that led you here to Quan Chi's soulnado?" she jeered. "He knew you'd want to help your pathetic little friend any way you could, and that you'd follow him to the ends of the Earth to save him. So he made sure poor Tomas was sent to chase Kabal, who went through a portal straight to you, and he insisted Sektor try to repair him in the subway in your patrol area. My master knew Sektor was no match for the three of you, and that you'd use your old adversary's programming to figure out what he was up to, so he ordered Smoke not to fight you or help Sektor. He wanted you to come here."

Sub-Zero glanced at the sorcerer and his teammates. Stryker was out cold on the tiles, if not dead, but Kabal still battled him in a flurry of kicks and punches. _Hang on_, he mentally projected to his comrade. _I'll figure a way out of this_. He scowled at Sareena and Noob. "Why?" he asked, stalling them. If he could keep their attention focused on him, he gave Kabal a chance to defeat Quan Chi and ensured nobody discovered Annalise.

"Baby, I already told you. My master's raising an army, and he needs the souls of Earthrealm's best warriors. He's going to take your soul as well as Heckle and Jeckle's over there. A storm is coming, and this invasion is just the beginning."

_Keep her talking_, he told himself. "You shouldn't be able to invade at all," he grunted as he twisted his wrists at his sides. The bola tightened, and now he gasped for air.

"Well, Quan Chi bent the rules a little," she said. "Remember the story about Shinnok's amulet? How nobody knew what Quan Chi paid Shang Tsung for the map?"

"I vaguely recall that," he squirmed.

"Well, I didn't tell the whole truth about that," she began. "The price he paid was a spell. It's a very specific spell to raise the dead, and only Quan Chi has mastered it. You see, when Edenia's Queen Sindel killed herself, she did so to protect Earthrealm from her kingdom's fate. A blood sacrifice like that made it impossible for Shao Kahn to invade should he lose the tournament. It was old magic, what she did, lost to all but one sorcerer. My master knew the way to reverse it. He resurrected Sindel. That was Shang Tsung's price."

"You're all insane," Sub-Zero muttered, now noting how Noob was strangely silent through all of this. His brother was studying something in his hands, though from his spot on the ground he couldn't see what.

Sareena laughed, ignoring him. "After you ran away, Oniro pledged his full support to the Emperor. And since Netherrealm has an uneasy alliance with Shao Kahn, that makes the Lin Kuei our allies by extension as well. But when all this is done, we're going to claim their souls too, including your precious Smoke's."

"Not if I kill you and your master first," he retorted defiantly.

"Look how adorable you are," she teased a second before she backhanded him.

He spat out the mouthful of blood that burst from a fresh cut on the inside of his lip. "Keep your filthy hands off me," he growled. "You obviously didn't care about my brother as much as you pretended. Was anything you said even true?"

Sareena snarled as she knelt before him and traced the outline of his face. "I told you that when I was being punished for defying Quan Chi, I would have done anything just to be close to Bi-han again." She gripped his chin and yanked it up so he'd look at her directly. "But what I didn't tell you, honey, was how my master came to me and promised me he'd free me from that prison and let me be with your brother. And all I had to do was bring you to him. It was a no-brainer, baby."

"Yeah, my brother seems like a regular Don Juan," Sub-Zero chided. "I can see the appeal. And of course it's not like Quan Chi won't throw you back when he's done using you."

She smiled dangerously. "Granted, Bi-han's not the same person he was when he was alive. But I'll take what I can get." She backhanded him again just as Quan Chi knocked Kabal unconscious with a barrage of glowing green skulls aimed at his masked head. The warrior fell to the ground in a heap.

As the sorcerer used his magic to haul both Kabal and Stryker's bodies to the soulnado, flooding the Cryomancer with worry for them, Sub-Zero looked up at his brother again. "Bi-han, you don't have to do this," he began chattering away, hoping his brother would help him one last time. "It would break our mom's heart to know what's happened to you. I saw her, and she misses you. And what about Sarah? Don't you remember our baby sister? We've got to find out what Father did to her. We could go find her, together, and then we could actually have a normal family for once, just like you always wanted." He grunted in frustration when Noob just stood there, unmoved by his words. Maybe his brother was truly gone after all.

"Silence!" Quan Chi ordered. He looked at his slaves. "Sub-Zero is one of Raiden's champions. If he is here, it is likely his other teammates are here as well. Both of you will search the graveyard for them. Bring them to me when you find them."

_Annalise!_ He impulsively struggled against the bola snare again, determined to get free so he could rescue her, but once again it tightened. Now his arms started to go numb. _Run away!_ he urged her, not looking at her hiding spot in the trees lest one of his enemies saw and figured out where she was at. He cast his eyes down as Noob and Sareena marched off in separate directions.

"Why do you work for Raiden, Sub-Zero?" the sorcerer asked in curiosity as he knelt beside his prisoner.

The Cryomancer glowered at him. He didn't feel like chit-chatting with the sorcerer, and he wondered why the immortal didn't just throw him to the soulnado and be done with it already, but if it kept him distracted long enough for Annalise to escape, he'd gladly do it. "Why'd you frame my brother and double-cross Scorpion?" he shot back. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear what Quan Chi had to say on the matter.

"I wanted both their souls," he explained. "But as an immortal, I cannot kill an Earthrealm warrior myself outside of the tournament. So I had to devise a way to ensure that Hanzo Hasashi and Bi-han killed each other. Scorpion has a terrible temper, if you hadn't noticed. It wasn't hard pulling his strings. I simply disguised an army of Shang Tsung's Tarkatan warriors as Lin Kuei assassins, and I myself went into the Shirai Ryu village as your older brother. We slayed the men, women, and children, but we left just enough survivors alive to spread the word that your clan exterminated Scorpion's. I personally killed his wife and son so that he'd never stop hunting you and your brother down. I must confess, Sub-Zero, that it is not always easy governing the Netherrealm and fighting for power the way that I do. But when I spilled his family's blood on the ground and then left them for the crows to eat, I really did enjoy my work."

"Coward!" an inhuman voice roared suddenly, and Sub-Zero heard a familiar whistling sound a moment before Quan Chi's eyes bulged from his face in surprise and he flew backwards several feet before crashing on the ground. Towering above the sorcerer was Scorpion, who had attacked his master with his kunai blade.

"How dare you?" the sorcerer snarled, but his slave kicked him as hard as he could in the face. Several teeth and shower of blood flew through the air. "I am your master!" he cried as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"I heard everything!" he howled in his deep, demonic voice. Wreaths of flame welled up in his white eyes. "You arranged to have me killed! You killed my family, my clan! And for what? So I would kill Sub-Zero's family and clan in revenge? You ruined all of our lives, and I am going to make you suffer for it!"

The Cryomancer watched in astonishment as Quan Chi formed a portal with a single hand, but Scorpion promptly wrapped the kunai blade's chain around his neck and held him in place, driving his weapon into the ground like a stake. Suddenly, the tattooed man looked an awful lot like a dog on a leash. Kuai Liang thought it funny how the tables had turned.

But then Scorpion turned his attention on him, and his vague amusement fled. The Netherrealm warrior promptly yanked dual swords from a scabbard fastened to his back, and he stomped fiercely towards the captive sacrifice. Helpless, Sub-Zero inwardly panicked, and he flinched as his enemy gracefully swung his weapons at his body. The Cryomancer expected immediate death, but was shocked when he instead felt the bola release its grip on him and fall around him in an impotent mess. He looked up at Scorpion with gratitude.

"Thank you," he said as he hopped to his feet, the feeling returning to his numb arms. "I owe you one."

But the wraith had already returned to Quan Chi, and was now dragging him on the chain to the soulnado. Sub-Zero decided to help his savior. Scorpion was right. This sorcerer, this _monster_, was responsible for ruining all their lives, and he needed to be punished for his crimes against them all. Rage akin to what the wraith seemed to be feeling coursed through his blood, and as he trotted to where Scorpion was thrashing him, he felt a kori sword grow from his palms in response to his hatred.

The Cryomancer poised to attack Quan Chi, but as he raised his sword over his head, something sharp plunged into his stomach and knocked him down. He immediately dropped his weapon and felt his stomach, pulling a tiny throwing knife from his abdomen. Blood spilled over his hands as his muscles constricted involuntarily, paralyzing him with terrible cramping pain and nausea. He promptly froze the injury as he had so many others that day, but his vision now blurred from the cumulative blood loss. Vertigo swirled through is brain like an invasive fog as he weakly watched Sareena run at him with her dragon jaw sword.

She hoisted her weapon high above her head like she was about to chop through firewood with an axe. "Just because Scorpion's had a change of heart doesn't mean I have, baby!" she yelled.

"He's not your baby, you bitch!" a new voice screamed just as a long blade plunged through Sareena's sternum. The demoness looked down at it in astonishment, but a scowl quickly replaced her shock. She bit her lip in mild discomfort as she slid off the sword and faced her attacker. From his spot on the ground, Sub-Zero saw Annalise standing there looking every bit as surprised to have stabbed Sareena as Sareena was to have been stabbed.

"No, no, no," he mumbled as fear for her swelled in his chest. "Annalise, run," he croaked, having trouble talking. Why did she have to be so stubborn? And especially now when he couldn't do much to save her?

The demoness wheeled on her with a wicked expression on her face. "You want to play, little girl?" She stepped towards the nurse dangerously, backing her up.

"Get away from him!" Annalise yelled, and Sub-Zero felt touched that she was trying to protect him. Still, he wanted her to run, not pick a fight with a demon. She raised his kitana as Sareena laughed and raised her grotesque sword in response.

Sub-Zero rolled onto his side, his body screaming in protest, and forced himself to get on all fours. Then he struggled to stand. Dizziness swirled through his head like a tornado, but he made himself move in spite of his double-vision. He stumbled and collapsed back onto his knees. "You touch her and I'll kill you," he said to Sareena as he tried to slow her down by freezing the ground beneath her feet to no avail.

"Before you die, Kuai Liang, I'm going to make you watch your friend here die. That way, when we take your soul, you'll spend eternity knowing you failed to save yet another person," she threatened.

And then a fast-moving black shadow raced into the demoness, pushing her to the side. Sareena squealed in surprise as she fell to the concrete, dropping her sword as she crashed into the ground violently. A demonic chuckle echoed through the air, and now it was Sub-Zero's turn to be shocked when he saw how his brother deliberately sent his shadow to attack her. Bi-han stood sternly like Kuai Liang always remembered him, with his shoulders angled forward slightly and his hands clenched into tight fists. Noob stared at Sareena expectantly as she leapt to her feet and scowled at him.

"You idiot!" she screeched. "What did you do that for?"

"Because I felt like it," Noob barked at her.

With an enraged howl, she charged him and punched him twice in the face before she pushed him backwards. Then, as Annalise darted around them and joined Sub-Zero, they both clamped down on each other's throats and began strangling one another. As the two demons fought, the nurse pressed her palm into the knife wound on his stomach.

"Jesus," she mumbled, "that witch got your liver or gallbladder. I can't quite tell. You need medical attention."

"I think you might be right," he acknowledged, struggling not to fall, especially when she draped his arm over her neck and shoulder to give him added support. He could hardly stand the pain or the nausea creeping through his belly. "But I've got some loose ends to tie up first."

Sub-Zero waited for Sareena and Noob to break apart, and the moment he saw the demoness push his brother away with a ferocious roar, he sprayed a concentrated jet of ice at her, catching her in the face with his powers. She screamed at the unexpected cold, but her startled cries died out in her throat as her skin started to freeze into a blue-white sheen. The ice quickly thickened as it expanded, gradually forming a demoness-sized stalagmite on the ground.

And then he heard the sounds of a different fight nearby, and he remembered Quan Chi and Scorpion. He looked around at them, and saw they still wrestled by the soulnado. The tortured wraith's fists were on fire, and he ruthlessly pummeled his master with them. Sub-Zero inwardly cheered his enemy on, though he decided Quan Chi deserved a taste of _his_ powers as well, so he aimed an ice-charged fist towards the fighting figures and waited until Scorpion was clear. The wraith raised his arms ceremoniously and somehow summoned an inferno to spring up around the sorcerer to burn his skin to a crispy black char. Quan Chi howled.

When the flames subsided, the immortal was still on all fours, and Sub-Zero saw his opportunity. "This is for my brother!" he yelled as he lobbed an ice ball at the crouching figure. It hit the sorcerer dead-on, instantly freezing him a moment before Scorpion drove his swords into his back, lifted him on them, and threw him directly into the soulnado. Quan Chi only had a split second to scream his agony before the green energy dissolved his flesh into tiny particles.

Immediately, the soulnado's energy imploded upwards so that the whole of it looked like a mushroom cloud blooming upon the remains of the city. A few seconds later, it exploded outward, lifting everyone into the air and chucking them like rag dolls twenty feet. Sub-Zero barely realized he was airborne before he crashed into the concrete once more. With a startled cry, Annalise landed nearby. The concussive blast also carried Stryker and Kabal, finally rousing them from their unconsciousness when they fell into the ground with a crack like eggs breaking. Both men groaned loudly, and Kuai Liang empathized with the sentiment.

But he hadn't forgotten his brother, who had already recovered from the shockwave and was stalking towards Annalise like a predator on the hunt. Sub-Zero once again fought to stand, and prepared to do battle against Noob. He limped in between her and them to stop his brother's path, still clutching his badly wounded belly as it cramped beneath his fingers. Then he aimed an ice-charged fist at the wraith.

"Get back," he warned.

"It's his weakness," Noob began, not offering to fight. "Quan Chi's. He's arrogant, and he can't resist bragging."

Sub-Zero thought about it and lowered his hand. "_You _brought Scorpion here, didn't you? When Quan Chi sent you away. You didn't go on patrol. You went and got him instead."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." He was obviously lying, and hope surged in Kuai Liang's heart. His brother had saved him, albeit in a roundabout, back-door sort of way.

"Why did you change your mind?" he wanted to know.

Noob didn't answer, but instead pulled a folded piece of paper from the inside of his black wrist brace and threw it at Kuai Liang's feet. Annalise snatched it for him so he didn't have to bend down, and after she handed it to him, he unfolded it to find the photograph of the brothers tucked inside the family portrait Jax printed for him earlier that day. How did the wraith get his hands on them?

"They fell from your pockets when we fought," Noob said as if reading his mind. "You should take better care of them since family seems so important to you."

"Brother-"

"I am not your brother," he cut him off. "Your brother is dead. I am your enemy, and my reasons for stopping Quan Chi are my own. So know that I will kill you the next time we fight. If you wish to save someone, I suggest you save your sister and your old friend. Do not waste your time on those who can no longer be helped."

With that, Noob Saibot conjured a swirling black portal in the ground that he promptly stepped into silently. Sub-Zero's bloody hands shook uncontrollably as he stared down at the photo of him and Bi-han, the disappointment he felt overwhelming. His brother's stern face, a mirror image of his own, gazed back at him with large, serious eyes so full of their own pain and sorrow. Dammit! He thought he'd reached him, saved him. But in reality, he had failed. Kuai Liang struggled to contain his grief-stricken tears inside him where they belonged, but one leaked out and splashed on his picture anyway. He didn't wipe it away as the color between the brothers blurred and faded.


	26. Shao Kahn is Coming

"Are you out of your mind?" Annalise cried after Sub-Zero decided to bypass the ER in favor of returning to Raiden's task force. Stryker now helped him into an abandoned taxi cab that Kabal had already hot-wired. "You need to go to the hospital!" she exclaimed as she climbed into the back seat with him.

"Do you honestly think there's a hospital left standing, let alone doctors waiting around to sew me up?" Kuai Liang replied as she pressed a handkerchief, courtesy of Stryker, on his belly. Freezing the injury had only slowed the flow of blood, but it didn't stop it completely this time, so the rag gradually turned red. The wound burned. The fire from it was excruciating and referred into his chest like a heart attack, and it was all he could do to sit up as the car drove unopposed alongside a river. "Besides, I don't have time. I have to get back to the church. Shao Kahn's coming." He winced.

"Lay down," Annalise ordered, "it'll help minimize the blood loss." Sub-Zero groaned as he obeyed and stretched across the back seat, resting his feet across her body and his head on the door. The pain subsided to a tolerable level immediately. She promptly leaned over and placed her hand on his stomach once again, and her touch, he observed, soothed him further. Tranquility flooded him until she looked to the front seat and barked orders at the man driving the car. "Kabal, you need to take this car to the goddamn emergency room, and you need to do it _now_. I don't care what the hell he says."

"You try to make me go anywhere I don't want to, and I will turn you into a popsicle," he threatened the ex-Black Dragon operative as he closed his eyes. A gentle, pleasant tingling rushed through his skin like a healing balm. He couldn't help enjoying it, in spite of the crushing agony in his belly. Her hands possessed some sort of energy that dulled the pain and relaxed him; he remembered the way Edward calmed down in Rockford when Annalise touched him, just as the child, Tasha, seemed unafraid and at peace in the nurse's arms. He thought it a curious ability, but he was grateful for it, and he decided it felt good to rest his eyes for a bit. If he lived through all of this, he was going to sleep for a week.

"I won't, but maybe you should listen to her," Kabal told the Cryomancer as they sped down the highway. It was a remarkably vacant stretch of road. Everyone had already fled the city, if they weren't in hiding, so they saw no other cars. Thankfully, the foursome didn't see any monsters either.

"Right, just like she listened to _me_ when I told her to stay behind the tree," he chided as opened his eyes again and gave her a pointed look.

"Hey, pal, that demon hooker would've killed you if I hadn't come out to help you," she shot back.

"I had everything under control," he replied with a pained grunt.

"Yeah, you looked like it." She scoffed and scowled. "I suppose if you choose to be an idiot, there's nothing I can do to stop you."

"Annalise," he began gently as he gripped her bloody hand, "Shao Kahn's coming through soon, and it's gonna take every last one of us to stop him. My teammates need my help." As he spoke, he thought his words were vaguely funny. They really _did_ feel like his teammates now, and he was amazed with himself for his genuine desire to help them save the world. It was like Raiden had given the fugitive assassin a new purpose in life, a good purpose, one that would redeem his soul not just to the Elder Gods, but to himself as well. Sub-Zero suddenly realized he was proud of himself because he had chosen this fate for himself and it was an honorable decision.

"Fat lot of good you're going to be if you're dead," she retorted, breaking through his thoughts.

"I'll be fine," he tried to convince her. "But I have to try."

She sighed. "I'll do what I can to keep you going, but just for the record, I do so under _extreme _protest. You really do need to go to the hospital because you could be bleeding internally, or gastric juices could be spilling into your abdominal cavity, and I have no way of telling until it's too late." Annalise pressed a little harder on the wound and then glanced at Stryker. "I don't suppose you have a first aid kit or something, do you?"

"I have a pocket first aid kit, though I'm not sure how much help that'll be for a stab wound."

"It'll be better than nothing," she said as she took the tiny plastic box from him and opened it. Kuai Liang saw her rummage through it and grab a stack of small gauze pads as well as all five Band-Aids. She then balanced the bandages on his pant leg before she carefully rolled up the black t-shirt Sonya gave him earlier. Studying the wound, she wrinkled her lightly freckled nose. "Well, the good news is that it's not that deep," she announced. "Even still, that witch probably perforated one of your internal organs. Again, my guess is the liver or the gallbladder."

"Man, I thought _I_ was tough," Stryker said in admiration as he turned around to look at his new teammate. Sub-Zero met his gaze. "I was working on the roof of my cabin one time, this amazing house up in the Adirondacks, and I slipped and broke my femur. But there was no one around and I couldn't call for help because there was no signal on my phone, so I army-crawled halfway down the mountain to my truck, and I drove myself to the hospital. I thought I was pretty cool for that. But _you_? You've been gut-stabbed and you still want to fight? You make me look like a pussy. You just take a lickin' and keep on tickin'."

"Tell _her_ that," he said as he nodded at Annalise. She rolled her eyes and carefully affixed the gauze to his stomach, followed by every Band-Aid she had. Then she covered her work with the handkerchief to keep applying pressure to the injury. With her free hand, the nurse gripped his hand, squeezed it reassuringly, and then carefully clamped her delicate fingers on the underside of his wrist joint, undoubtedly checking his pulse.

"I'm still alive," he joked.

She flashed an ornery smirk at him. "Hey, wise-guy, it may shock you to know that I can, in fact, count to zero." Kuai Liang started to laugh at that, but abruptly stopped because it hurt too much.

_Pain is the mark of a weak mind_¸ he told himself, and it helped a little.

Annalise didn't release her grip on his pulse or on his tummy for the remainder of the trip to Trinity Church, a fifteen minute jaunt alongside the river, but that didn't bother the Cryomancer. Though her hand was sticky with his blood, he enjoyed how powerfully her delicate fingers held his wrist as well as how smooth and small they felt beneath his own. He was tempted to cup his hand around hers, but worried he'd only annoy her by doing so, he quelled the urge. Even still, more pleasant tingling spread through his arms and shoulders, putting him at immediate ease.

When they finally reached their destination several minutes later, she helped him out of the taxi, saying, "It's still not too late to go to the hospital."

Sub-Zero limped towards the cathedral. He felt nauseous. "And miss all the fun?"

She shook her head in exasperation. Then they both looked up at the church in astonishment, noting how only half of it remained standing, and the other half was a mountain of rubble blocking the street. The parish hall seemed intact, however, and he knew that's where his comrades had rendezvoused. He headed inside with the rest of his group, and as expected, found the others, all of them looking like they'd gone twenty rounds in a boxing match, arguing about what they should do next. The Cryomancer immediately felt better about himself when he saw that they took some serious beatings as well.

Sonya saw the new arrivals first, and crossed her arms haughtily. "Well, look what the cat dragged in!" she cried sarcastically, getting everyone else's attention. Her face and arms were covered in bruises and abrasions. "It's Sub-Zero. And he brought Nurse Ratchet, a Baconator, and a Tusken Raider with him. That's sweet."

"My _name_ is Stryker," the cop hissed.

"Who cares?" she replied viciously.

Annalise put her hands on her hips and glared at the blond. "You know, Sonya, somewhere out there is a tree that is tirelessly producing oxygen just so you can breathe. I think you owe it an apology." Sub-Zero heard snickers from the others, and he couldn't stifle his own chuckle before he doubled over in pain.

"What's wrong with you, Snow White?" the Spec Ops soldier asked, ignoring the insult leveled against her.

"I've got a hangnail," he replied drily, exhaling loudly before he stood straight again. When he recovered, he now noticed a woman propped against the corner with her hands tied behind her back and her body wrapped in chains. A streak of silver swept through her dark hair almost like a skunk's stripe, and she surveyed everyone with narrow, whitewashed eyed. "Who's that?" he asked as he pointed to her.

Liu Kang stepped forward. Of everyone, the champion of Mortal Kombat was the least unscathed. He only had a split lip and a black eye. "That's Queen Sindel. She tore this place apart. It took all of us to subdue her."

Sub-Zero scoffed. So this was the key that unlocked the portals? He remembered Sareena's graveyard confession. "Funny story, that," he began. "Quan Chi raised her from the dead. That's how the Emperor was able to invade."

"Yeah, that's old news," Johnny said, also battered half to hell. "Kitana told us."

"You will all suffer the Emperor's wrath," the Queen chuckled as they all stared at her.

"Don't mind her," the actor retorted. "Somebody just dropped a house on her sister."

Sub-Zero raised an eyebrow in confusion. He didn't understand these cultural references his companions made at all, and he felt stupid for not knowing what Johnny's statement had meant.

"Who are _your_ other companions, Cryomancer?" Jade asked in her breathy voice as she stepped towards him.

He glanced at the nurse. "This is Annalise. She's been taking care of my mother in the hospital." Then he looked to his other side. "That's Kabal."

"Wait, what's your name?" Sonya demanded to know, stalking towards him. Jax promptly flanked her. He looked intrigued by the newcomer on a professional level, but Sub-Zero recognized the sudden fury in the woman's eyes as a primal hunger. But why it was there, he could not be sure.

"Kabal. Kadeem Kabal," the man answered, looking at her directly.

"I've got a file an inch thick on you. You work with Kano and the Black Dragon?"

"_Worked_," he said. "I've recently moved on to greener pastures."

"I've got some questions for you about him."

"That will have to wait," Raiden interrupted. "What became of the soulnado and Quan Chi?" he asked Sub-Zero, who was watching the exchange between his new teammate and his old with ardent curiosity. Obviously, Kano and the Black Dragon had done something to her, and her quest for answers had become personal.

"Quan Chi's gone and the soulnado's been destroyed," he answered, glancing at Annalise.

"That is good news," the thunder god said.

"Yeah, so now that he did what you asked, will you please let him go to the hospital?" the nurse asked. "A demoness named Sareena got him with this throwing knife thing, and he's lost a lot of blood, but even still he's got it in his head that he can't go until he helps you guys defeat Shao Kahn. But I can tell you he's in no state to fight _me_, let alone a guy like that."

"He is right," Raiden said to her. "We need his help."

"So you're just gonna lead him like a pig to slaughter?" she retorted angrily. She stepped within an inch of the god and looked up at his face in fury. "If I was him, I'm not sure I'd want to follow anyone who'd so casually allow me to die."

"You misunderstand, Annalise," the god replied. "If Shao Kahn is not stopped, then all human life is nullified. It won't matter if Sub-Zero's wounds are treated because he will die anyway. Furthermore, it is better for his soul if he dies in battle defending people like you rather than being exterminated later by one of the Emperor's invasion squads."

"What do you mean, 'better for his soul'?" The woman glanced over at Sub-Zero with a worried look on her face.

"Annalise, I don't think I need to tell you that I've done bad things in my life," he told her as he looked down at the floor. "Things I'm not proud of and things I don't want to discuss right now, if ever. But you saw what happened to my brother. If I don't fight for Raiden, the same thing could happen to me. And worse, if I left my teammates now when they need me the most, how much respect could _you_ have for me?"

Sub-Zero saw tears form in her eyes before streaking down her dirty cheeks, and it stunned him. Was she crying for _him_? He felt touched by her concern, as well as the overwhelming and bizarre urge to hug her, though he stifled it and opted to stare at her instead. Red-faced, she wiped her tears away in embarrassment before she looked back at Raiden. "Well, can you at least help him somehow? He's in a lot of pain whether he admits it or not, and he could bleed to death before he gets help. That witch stabbed him pretty good."

"Of course, child," the thunder god said gently as he rested his hands on her shoulders. He smiled at her and she nodded back. Then Raiden approached the Cryomancer and raised his hands, now glowing with electrical currents, in front of him. Without warning, the currents rushed into Sub-Zero's body; when Himavat healed him in the past, the energy felt icy and slightly painful before it got better. With Raiden, however, it felt like static shocking him with painful little bolts of lightning. But soon, the roaring inferno in his abdomen and chest quickly subsided into dying embers before it was extinguished altogether. The dull pain from his other injuries – from the hole in his clavicle to his strained shoulder – quickly vanished as well. After a few long moments, the thunder god pulled away.

"Thank you," Sub-Zero said, and Raiden bowed his head. Then the Cryomancer glanced at Annalise, who was wide-mouthed in astonishment at his full recovery, and gave her a rare, ornery smirk of his own. "Told you so."

She narrowed her eyes and practically leapt to reach him before she grabbed his shirt and threw it up. As expected, his stomach was completely healed. Not even a scar remained. Even still, the nurse ran her fingers over the spot in disbelief, sending chills down his spine and then through his groin and legs, and he chuckled in amusement before he gripped her hand and smiled at her.

"See?" he asked.

"I've never seen anything like that before," she muttered. "I wish I could do stuff like that." Annalise looked up at him and flashed a half-hearted smile.

"Hey, I hate to break up the love fest," Jax started, "but we've got a problem."

"What do you mean?" Raiden asked, approaching him. Everyone else crowded around the man as well.

The Special Forces' Major studied a small, electronic device only slightly bigger than Stryker's homing beacon box. "One of those damn singularities is forming just outside, in the graveyard. And it's the biggest one yet."

"My Emperor comes!" Sindel exclaimed from her spot in the corner. "Soon, you will grovel at his feet."

"I hate to say it, but I think Frankenstein's bride is right," Jax said. "If Shao Kahn's as nasty as I think he is, that could explain why this portal is emitting so much energy."

"What singularities? What are you talking about?" Kabal wanted to know.

"Catch up, Sandman," Sonya snapped.

"Are your parents siblings?" he shot back.

"That's enough," Johnny said. "You're acting like children. Especially you, Sonya."

"Johnny Cage, the unlikely voice of reason," Sub-Zero drily remarked.

"Thanks," the actor said, and then suddenly understood the subtext of the Cryomancer's words. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Jax said impatiently. "The singularities are portals," he told Kabal, Stryker, and Annalise.

"And you don't think it's a squad or even an army?" Sub-Zero asked.

"It's him," Liu Kang said ominously.

"I think so too," the Major said. "I've seen big armies come through much smaller singularities than this. I think the size of the portal has something to do with how powerful the traveler is. I get the feeling the Emperor is much more powerful than even an army."

"He is the most powerful immortal in all the realms," Sindel announced in a voice full of unhealthy obsession and conviction. Sub-Zero saw Kitana wince in grief, and because of her reaction he wondered if the Queen's devotion to the Emperor was a product of brain-washing. She sounded programmed, much like Smoke and the other cyber-ninjas.

"Haokah, we must face Shao Kahn now," Nightwolf said to Raiden. "Especially since the Elder Gods refuse to stop this madness."

"Yes," the thunder god replied. "Let us go to the graveyard."

Raiden led the way outside, and then Jax took the lead using his digital device to guide them to the massive graveyard beside the church. As they walked down the sidewalk, Sub-Zero felt a tug on his sleeve and when he looked around, he saw Annalise pulling him back. "What's the matter?" he asked as the others filed around them, and they fell behind.

"Aren't you going to give me a speech about running and hiding and all that?" she asked.

"Why would I do that?" he replied with a thin smile. "You won't listen to me anyway."

"No, I suppose I won't," she lightly chuckled.

"Although," he began, "I _would_ feel a lot better if you stayed out of this fight, Annalise. I don't really know what to expect with Shao Kahn, but when I watched Liu Kang fight him a few days ago, it was clear he was nobody to trifle with."

She abruptly stopped walking and slid the scabbard holding his kitana over her shoulder. Then she tried to hand it back to him. "Here. I think you'll need this back."

"No, I still want you to keep it for now."

"I was looking at it, and it looks pretty old."

"It _is_ pretty old. It's a family heirloom, passed down through my father's family for generations."

"Then why give it to me?" she shot back. "This is special to you."

"True. It's special to me because it was my brother's, and now it's all I really have left of him," Sub-Zero said. "However, it is first and foremost a weapon, and you need a weapon to defend yourself. I don't. I have my powers, and you've seen what they're capable of doing to a person." He started walking again.

Annalise stood there for a long moment, clutching the sword and scabbard in her hands, before she trotted after him. "Well, promise that you'll be careful fighting this guy," she said. "Please don't make me tell your mom that you're dead. She was so happy to have found you."

"So you believe me now?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do. This whole evening with you has made me realize that as nuts as it sounds, you have to be telling the truth. Nobody could make up a lie like this. It's been an eye-opener."

"That's for sure," he said just as an unexpected shockwave exploded around them from a focal point nearby and violently tossed everyone in the group into the air. Immediately, the blast flattened the trees in the cemetery and blew out all the windows in the buildings along Broadway and Wall Street. Glass rained onto the concrete and pavement with a loud tinkle as car alarms shrieked at the disturbance. Behind them, half of the western wall of Trinity Church toppled further, flinging bricks, dusty mortar, and wood splinters into the air. The rest of the building groaned at the lack of support, and buckled under the weight of the roof. With only a moment's warning, it imploded completely.

"Mother!" Kitana shrieked from somewhere close by.

Sub-Zero, who had landed on his back in the middle of Broadway, slowly pulled himself up and saw the Edenian princess running towards the collapsed building where they'd all left Queen Sindel in chains. He empathized with her, remembering the day he watched Oniro murder his father and knowing that there was nothing he could do but watch helplessly. But his teammates were of greater concern to him at the moment, so he first found Annalise slumped against a car and pushed the hair from her face to examine her. She looked mildly stunned and woozy, and her lavender eyes were a little blank, probably a product of the ugly knot forming on her forehead.

"Are you okay?" he demanded to know.

"My head hurts," Annalise mumbled as a violent earthquake now ripped through the ground and rocked the city on its foundations. Sub-Zero crouched beside her, sheltering her petite body from falling rubble and glass with his, tucking his head down as far as he could. An ungodly roar howled through the sewers as if the Earth was some monstrous thing coming alive to devour the unwitting souls standing upon it, and in seconds the black pavement ruptured into jagged splits. Thick explosions of steam burst angrily into the night air as the ground forcefully swayed back and forth, and when the street noisily began to collapse on itself, exposing the tunnels beneath, Annalise screamed in fear and surprise. She clutched Sub-Zero's arms tightly, and he clutched her back, hoping the road beneath them didn't disintegrate.

Then loud bolts of lightning crashed around the fighters, deafening them as they brightly illuminated the otherwise dark city like blue daylight. Thunder ripped through the air. At first, Sub-Zero thought that Raiden was reacting to the earthquake, but when he glanced over, he saw the thunder god struggling to stand on the opposite side of the street. Another bolt of electricity whipped through the reddish sky, and this one immediately turned the night into a sickly, cancer green that faded into gray like watercolor on a piece of paper.

"We need to get to the others," Kuai Liang announced as he hoisted the nurse to her feet. It was difficult to walk, rather like stepping through a funhouse with a mechanized floor, but the two managed to reach the others without falling into the tiny abysses that marred the blacktop. Everyone – Sonya, Jax, Liu, Johnny, Nightwolf, Kitana, Jade, Kabal, and Stryker – waited for him as they huddled around Raiden expectantly as the earthquake finally died down.

"Look!" Annalise pointed to the cemetery as the Cryomancer let go of her arm.

They all turned around and saw a green and black portal, which hadn't been there a moment prior, swirl and twist like an angry tornado lying on its side. Through the event horizon, the figure of an imposing man grew larger in their sight, and even though the membrane blurred specific details, Sub-Zero still saw the bulging chest criss-crossed by leather straps and the mask and helmet made from a bull's skull attached to his face. Within seconds, he crossed the threshold, and now they all saw that he carried a large hammer in his hand.

"Shao Kahn," Raiden muttered.

The Emperor gazed around at his surroundings for a long moment, and then peered at Earthrealm's warriors before he let out a hearty chuckle. "You weak, pathetic fools! I have come for your souls. Bow down before me and despair!"


	27. Final Kombat

Without warning, Stryker immediately pulled out his gun and began firing .9 mm rounds at the Emperor. The loud shots shook the other warriors from their astonished gawking as the bullets plunged harmlessly into Shao Kahn's skin, healing within moments of wounding his flesh. With a war cry, Nightwolf bolted towards their enemy holding a mystical bow that materialized from thin air and fired a barrage of arrows at him. Meanwhile, Kitana produced her deadly fans and Jade clutched her tri-blade boomerang in her fist before both women threw their weapons and charged towards him. To Sub-Zero's left, Sonya fired pink lasers from some kind of energy weapon, Jax sprayed machine gun bullets in three-shot bursts, and Kabal threw a canister of purple chemical gas before he bolted forward with his hook-swords poised for battle. To the Cryomancer's right, Liu and Raiden stomped towards their enemy with fists charged with flame and lightning respectively, directing their powerful energy at the invader. Sub-Zero summoned his own powers to his hands, inadvertently creating a fog with the sudden chill in his flesh, and then joined his comrades with a determined grunt by aiming a jet of blue-white energy at the Emperor.

But Shao Kahn was not so easily defeated. He merely laughed at all the weapons and powers hitting him at once, then arrogantly brushed at his chest as if he were shooing away a fly. Nobody could touch him. The Emperor patiently waited at the portal's mouth for the Earthrealm warriors to reach him, and when they got close enough he held up his hand, made a fist, and a green wall of energy exploded from him in all directions, knocking all the fighters backwards once more. Sub-Zero landed on the grass with a thud, and he coughed to recover the wind that was knocked from him. A moment later, he was on his feet and charging the Emperor again, this time flanked by Kitana and Liu.

The three of them immediately attacked while their teammates got to their feet once more. As Liu leapt up and tried to bicycle-kick Shao Kahn in the face, Sub-Zero formed a kori sword in his hands and swung it in a graceful arc at his head the moment he threw the Shaolin monk to the ground. The immortal expertly dodged the attack before he caught the weapon with his meaty hand and crushed it to shards immediately. The Cryomancer stumbled to the side slightly as Kitana sprung vertically into the air and stabbed one of her fan blades into her step-father's chest with an enraged scream. He groaned, but then snatched her long braid and swung her with it into Nightwolf before he plucked the fan from his muscle. The wound wept slightly, but the princess had inflicted no real damage to him, and he healed within moments.

Liu and Kuai Liang attacked again, now joined by Johnny and Jade, all of them throwing punches at the same time. Shao Kahn batted Liu's fist away, wrenched Jade's arm behind her until it snapped, and then brought his palm down into Sub-Zero's arm before he swung his own arm across his broad chest, catching his opponents in their jaws with his clenched fist. They all fell down, and while Johnny pulled Jade away from the fight, the Cryomancer spat out a mouthful of his own blood onto the grass before he jumped back to his feet. At that point, Raiden, who was nearby, raised his arms high into the air and summoned a thick bolt of lightning to strike the Emperor. A brilliant pillar of white light crashed into their enemy immediately, but it did no good. When the light fled away, Shao Kahn stood there with his hands on his hips, laughing.

"Is that all you've got?" he chided. "I don't know why, but I expected more from your warriors, Raiden." More lightning flew from the thunder god's hands, but to no avail.

Kabal raced by him now in a colorful blur, and tried to grab the Emperor's armor with his hook-swords, but when the hooks found Shao Kahn's wrist braces, he merely yanked on his arms and threw the ex-Black Dragon operative in the opposite direction. Kabal crashed into a tombstone, and it exploded on impact in a shower of rock and dust. Jax, who had trotted up by this point, punched him in the face with his powerful cybernetic fists. Their enemy's face barely moved to the side from the momentum, and then he struck back, knocking the soldier backwards several feet. Now Sonya charged forward with a ferocious scream and cartwheeled into him, pushing him back slightly, but accomplishing nothing before he grabbed her combat boot and flung her to the side. Stryker threw a flash-bang grenade at the immortal just as Nightwolf threw a mystical tomahawk, and though both weapons found their target, Shao Kahn laughed cruelly as they both fell harmlessly to the ground. Finally, as Sub-Zero approached for another pass, ready to lob an ice ball at him, the Emperor calmly hefted his hammer with both hands and swung it around, knocking everyone within close proximity backwards but catching the Cryomancer directly in the chest with its heavy weight. His hands, which were charged with his power, sprayed ice wildly into the sky as he uncontrollably flew through the air, and snow fell quietly to the earth.

At first, the pain in Kuai Liang's chest was so great that it didn't even register in his brain for several long moments after he crashed into the sod. And then, as that scorching fire and stifling pressure filled his chest, he panicked when he realized he could scarcely breathe. The Cryomancer began clawing at his lungs in fear, struggling for more oxygen. He didn't dare cough, knowing full well that he had several broken ribs that threatened to puncture a lung, but a rigid wheezing sound escaped him nonetheless. His panic quickly subsided, however, as he commanded himself to remain calm and rapidly went down his list of mental meditative exercises for just such a situation. Sub-Zero looked at the green sky and gasped for air while his teammates continued to challenge the Emperor, only to be shut down every time.

"How are you supposed to beat that guy when nothing's working?" Annalise cried as she knelt beside him. Sub-Zero felt her question was largely rhetorical, so he didn't answer. She didn't seem to need an answer either, and instead of demanding one she pushed up his shirt with a look of abject terror and worry on her face. What she saw caused her to throw her hands over her mouth to hide her shock. "Oh, my God," she said as Liu crashed in the grass behind her.

"Run," Kuai Liang croaked, feeling unusual coldness flush through him all of a sudden. Odd sleepiness accompanied it, but he shook it off and rolled to his feet. Agony flooded him, and even though he tried to suppress it, he couldn't stop the loud cry of pain that escaped him. _Pain is the mark of a weak mind_, he insisted to himself before his brain added, _and you've got to fight until the bitter end_.

"Like hell, I will," she replied stubbornly as she gripped his waist to steady him. "Where the hell you think you're going?" she demanded to know as he slipped his jacket from his body, wadded it up, and thrust it onto his chest injury. His ribs immediately felt more stable. "You need to sit down. It looks like part of your left rib cage is broken off."

"Must…keep…fighting," he gasped with equal tenacity. In truth, he didn't know how he was even standing, but he suspected it had something to do with all the adrenaline coursing through his veins because of the fight.

Just then, Shao Kahn threw a green spear at Raiden, the momentum of which propelled the thunder god through an old elm tree. It exploded in an arc of electricity and rained blue-white sparks and embers of wood onto the fighters.

Annalise ran around Sub-Zero and stopped him as he staggered towards the battle once more. "I don't think so, wise-guy," she snapped. "Did you even hear me when I said a _piece of your rib cage is broken off_?"

"Doesn't…matter."

"You may hate me right now, but you're _not_ going back in there. You can smack me later if you like to get even," she half-joked a moment before Sonya screamed in surprise as Shao Kahn hoisted her over his head and threw her against a small mausoleum.

"Never," he replied as he limped on. He never wanted to lay a hand on her, playfully or otherwise. He just hoped she didn't physically restrain him because there wasn't much he could do to stop her if she did.

As if reading his mind, she grabbed his arms and stopped him in his tracks. "I know you want to fight, but you have to stay here, Sub-Zero," she ordered as she propped him up for support. Annalise wrapped an arm around him and patted him on the back, which comforted him, though it did little else. Still, in spite of the pain crushing his chest, he felt his eyes droop as he leaned against her.

"I'm…really…tired," he confessed with a wheeze and then closed his eyes.

"I know, it's the shock," she said gently, rubbing his back. "You've got to stay awake for me, okay? And you've got to sit down. I'm gonna get you help-"

Suddenly, Annalise was yanked from behind by the hair, and she let out a loud, startled shriek as she accidentally pulled Kuai Liang to the ground. He landed gently on his knees, but even still the abrupt jarring motion in his unstable chest erupted in a new inferno that threatened to set his whole body on fire. He yelped and collapsed on all fours, now wide awake again, and then watched helplessly as Shao Kahn hoisted her off the ground by her long, slightly messy hair with an evil laugh.

"And what do we have here?" he asked as he wrapped one of his arms around her neck. It was as big around as her waist, and rippling with powerful muscles. Stryker and Nightwolf instantly rushed to her aid, but the Emperor calmly threw green magical bombs over his shoulder at them when they both started pounding on his back with their fists. Tiny explosions erupted in their faces, blinding them as they fell unconscious to the ground.

"Let go of me!" Annalise yelled defiantly as she flopped around like a fish on a hook. She tried to kick him in the groin with her yellow plastic shoes, but her struggling accomplished nothing and he chuckled more.

"You have spirit, little one," he said. "Like a wild horse. I'll thoroughly enjoy breaking it so that I can ride you whenever I please."

Shao Kahn's vulgar threat enraged Sub-Zero, especially when he heard Annalise squeal in fear. He'd die before he lost one more person he cared about to an evil man this week, and he'd be damned before he'd let the immortal ravage her like a plaything. "Get…away…from…her," he gasped as he forced himself to stand again, feeling jittery as a booster dose of adrenaline rushed to his blood. The jagged edges of his broken ribs stabbed at his lungs, and he could scarcely form words, but he was determined. He pressed his hand to his wounded chest as he staggered forward, and he felt a segment of his rib cage floating freely beneath the skin. Though not a squeamish man, it sickened him slightly, but not as much as the sight of the invader groping every inch of her body with his free hand.

"Get…your…filthy…hands…off…her!" he managed to yell, every word excruciating and difficult to come by.

His presence did not bother the Emperor in the slightest. With a ferocious grunt, he kicked the approaching Cryomancer in the leg and swept him over before he tightened his grip on the nurse. "I think I touched a nerve with him, don't you?" he asked her as Sub-Zero groaned in agony on the ground.

"I hope he kills you," Annalise snarled, still wiggling futilely. Raiden directed more lightning at him, but he quickly deflected it with an outstretched palm. After flinching, she continued: "I hope he freezes you into an ice cube!"

Another hearty chuckle escaped Shao Kahn as he now batted away Jax and Johnny like mosquitoes, and he waited until the Cryomancer was looking again before he smiled and caressed the woman's cheek with a hand nearly as big as her face. She winced and struggled harder, but he clamped down on her body with his arm, buried his nose in her thick hair, and inhaled deeply before nuzzling her ear with his masked face. Then, to torment them both further, he opened his mouth and traced his tongue along her exposed neck, savoring the taste of her as she whined in fear and disgust. Kuai Liang made himself get up again and he hobbled towards him slowly.

"For a human," the Emperor told him, "you have good taste in women. I can see why you want to protect her from harm. So beautiful…she'll make a wonderful addition to my collection. You, on the other hand, get to die now."

"No!" Annalise yelped as an ethereal green spear materialized in Shao Kahn's free hand. She unsuccessfully tried to kick him again.

Just as the Emperor poised to run him through, Sub-Zero stomped the grass with his boot and immediately formed a thick sheet of ice connecting the immortal to the ground. Shao Kahn grunted in surprise as a block of ice quickly formed around his feet and shins, freezing him in place while a blue fan blade suddenly spun into his back like a circular saw. Finally wounded, he howled in pained shock and threw Annalise down while Kitana approached.

"I won't let you do to this world what you did to _my_ world!" the princess roared.

"Impudent child," he spat as he easily broke free of his bonds and threw the spear at her. It plunged into her leg, and she fell with a pained scream. "You never cease to disappoint me!" He booted her in the gut before he whirled around and faced Annalise, who had unsheathed Sub-Zero's kitana and was now trembling uncontrollably while she pointed it at him. He guffawed at the sight of her. "Careful, little girl," he taunted. "You could get hurt playing with that."

"Get away from me!" she shrieked maniacally. "Go back to whatever rock it is you crawled out from under."

"I'm going to enjoy having you as my concubine," he leered at her.

"Annalise…run!" the Cryomancer yelled in labored breaths as he staggered towards her. Stomping the ground with his foot had made his respiration even worse, but he'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving her from harm. He threw an ice ball at Shao Kahn to slow him down, but as expected, it did no good. He easily deflected it as he had everything else anybody gave him. The Emperor was just too fast, and Sub-Zero too dizzy and slow, so he reached her before the Cryomancer could.

"Come here!" he cried as he snatched for her. With a terrified yelp, Annalise chopped in a downward motion like she was cutting firewood and looked at him in wild-eyed surprise as it actually stuck into his outstretched arm. Shao Kahn looked at it stupidly; she'd managed to cut halfway through his bone. Then he narrowed his eyes and snorted before he calmly yanked his arm back, ripping the weapon from her hands, and then slid the blade from the wound. Like all the others they'd inflicted before it, it healed within moments.

Then he stalked towards her like a predator on the hunt. "I have an abundance of patience," he growled. "But you're sorely testing it." She backed up nervously as he violated her space and then cried out when he wordlessly backhanded her across the cheek. She immediately crumpled to the grass. As he limped towards her, Sub-Zero aimed his freezing jet of ice directly at the Emperor. He knew it would do no good, but his sudden fury commanded him to rip Shao Kahn apart limb from limb.

As expected, the tyrant didn't even notice it, but as he lunged to retrieve his trophy, a barrage of fireballs careened into him, blackening his skin with soot. The Cryomancer saw Liu Kang running towards the Emperor, momentarily distracting him from his quarry, giving him time to reach her.

"Are…you…alright?" Kuai Liang asked her breathlessly when he joined her again, wiping away the tears now streaming down her cheeks. A wicked black bruise was already forming on her face.

"I'm fine," she sniffed as she glanced over at the fight. He followed her line of sight, and saw Jade, Nightwolf, and Stryker on the sidelines, too wounded to help. Liu, Raiden, Sonya, Kitana, and Kabal remained in the battle, attacking the Emperor intermittently. Jax and Johnny, however, came to them.

"This isn't working," the soldier said to Sub-Zero.

"I…noticed," he wheezed sarcastically as he watched the fight. In spite of Annalise supporting his weight once more, he collapsed to his knees. In concern, she knelt beside him and propped him against the tombstone. It mildly helped his breathing, but did nothing for the pain.

"What do you think we should do?" Johnny asked, his voice slightly panicked, kneeling as well. "He's more powerful than he was a few days ago. Where the hell is he getting all this juice?"

"Need…to…alter…our…strategy," the Cryomancer declared. He wasn't as interested in _how_ the Emperor got his power so much as _how _to deal with it now that he had it.

"No, you _need_ to go to the hospital," Annalise interjected. "So do your friends over there." She pointed to Jade, Nightwolf, and Stryker.

"Don't…start…that…again," he muttered. He knew she was right, but at the rate they were going, he was going to be dead soon anyway. At the thought, he tried to touch her hand, but groaned as his ribs protested angrily. When the moment passed, he looked at the others. "Gotta…outsmart…Shao…Kahn."

"What you thinking, man?" Jax asked.

Sub-Zero thought about it as he watched the others get thrashed. "Why…won't…the…Elder…Gods…help?" he asked.

"Something about not wanting to merge the invading force because the tournament wasn't breaking the rules," Johnny volunteered.

"Jesus Christ, Johnny," Annalise said, "I've heard more coherent things from a schizophrenic with Tourette's." She looked up at Kuai Liang. "Is he for real?"

"No," the other replied with equal annoyance. He leaned his head back, seeing spots in his vision now. He suspected they were caused by an inadequate flow of oxygen to his brain.

"What?" the actor asked with a wounded expression on his face.

"What?" Jax repeated. "I'll tell you what. You better sit your ass down and wait for the short bus to come before you hurt yourself, _that's_ what!" He shook his head in frustration before he looked back at Sub-Zero as Johnny crossed his arms in humiliation. "They won't help because technically, this invasion doesn't violate the rules of Mortal Kombat."

"Are…you…kidding…me?"

"They told Raiden that the tournament was only meant to keep Shao Kahn from merging the realms. But evidently, there's a loophole that allows him to attack and conquer us."

"What the hell does that mean?" Annalise cried in exasperation. "That's the same damn thing! Isn't it?"

"That's what Raiden thought," Jax replied, "But the Elder Gods disagreed."

"If…he's…not…breaking…the…rules…then…we've…gotta…make…him," Sub-Zero announced. He had a gut urge to quit fighting, not out of cowardice or despair, but out of a genuine instinct that it was their only course of action. It seemed like a long shot, and he didn't know if the Elder Gods would take the bait, but if Jax was right, they were operating on a paper-thin line of distinction. Maybe that could play to their favor.

"How?" she wondered.

"Stop…fighting," he answered.

"What? That doesn't even make any sense!" she yelled.

"No kidding," Johnny added. "When Shao Kahn got you with his hammer, did he happen to hit you in the head too?"

"It makes perfect sense," Jax argued as a knowing grin formed on his face. "I'm gonna get the others to stand down! Come on, Short Bus!" He motioned for Johnny to follow, and directed him towards Liu, Sonya, and a now limping Kitana, who currently had the Emperor's undivided attention. Then he ran the other direction towards Kabal and Raiden.

"Did I miss something?" Annalise asked as they watched the two men spread the word to the other fighters.

"If…we…fight…it's…an…invasion…and…a…war," Kuai Liang explained, feeling what energy he had left rapidly fleeing. "If…we…don't…he's…illegally…merging…the…Realms."

The soldier said something similar to the god and Kabal. Raiden looked stunned for a moment when Jax whispered in his ear, and then Sub-Zero recognized the epiphany that crossed the thunder god's face.

"Everyone, fall back!" his voice boomed over the small battlefield. "I'll handle this."

And now a look of confusion crossed the other warriors' faces, but they obeyed and took cover with the Cryomancer and nurse as Raiden walked towards the Emperor with renewed confidence. Sub-Zero hoped this worked like he'd hoped. Otherwise, it was going to be a quick but brutal end for all of Earthrealm's fighters. And as for Annalise…well, he didn't want to think about what Shao Kahn would do to her if he failed. _Himavat, if you're listening to me, please let me be right_, he beseeched his ancestor.

"Why the hell did he have us pull back?" Sonya demanded to know as she and Jax hoisted Stryker by the arms to the relative safety of the tombstone. Johnny and Liu quickly followed with Nightwolf, and Jade walked herself, clutching her badly crushed arm with her other hand.

"Ask Frosty, here," Johnny told her. "It was his idea."

Everyone looked at Sub-Zero expectantly, but he denied them an explanation because he was too fixated on the brewing fight between Shao Kahn and Raiden. The thunder god bowed respectfully, but he was immediately backhanded and sent flying into another tree. Thunder crackled in the distance, and as he slowly got to his feet, the Emperor's body glowed with a sudden green aura a moment before he lunged at him with Kabal's speed. The warriors only saw a blur before Raiden was airborne once more, this time crashing through the small mausoleum nearby. Rocks and debris rained through the air as the crypt collapsed on either side of him, exposing the coffins inside. With an amused and cruel chuckle, the Emperor triumphantly pounded his hammer on the ground before he charged again and swung his weapon at the god's head. Raiden gripped the hammer's handle before it smashed his skull, and he pushed it back with a strained grunt.

"This is not necessary," he said loudly. "There has already been enough suffering."

"And there will be more," the immortal replied haughtily.

With that, he yanked his hammer from the god's hands and then uppercut him in the jaw with a powerful blow. Raiden flew up and back with a pained cry, crashing into a statue and somehow overturning it with his weight. He groaned as he weakly pushed himself up, but Shao Kahn was already there. He lifted him to his feet and poised to punch him.

"Raiden! No!" Liu cried as he started to run, but Jax promptly caught him. "Let me go!" he yelled as he aimed a fist engulfed in flames at the soldier.

"Have faith, man," he ordered the champion. "Raiden knows what he's doing."

"He needs our help, Jax," Sonya announced as the flames died.

"And the best way to do that, baby girl, is to stay here," he responded. "Sub-Zero had a good idea. If they're gonna cheat and change the rules, we're gonna beat them at their own game."

"Well, I guess if we all die, we'll know who to blame," she sneered. The Cryomancer glared back at her. She was seriously getting on his last nerve.

Annalise scowled at her. "Any similarity between you and a human is purely coincidental, Sonya," she hissed protectively.

"Shouldn't you be off playing with ribbons and ponies?" the blond soldier shot back.

"Be…quiet!" Sub-Zero snapped as he watched Shao Kahn pummel Raiden's face. As if the Emperor's fist belonged to a struggling fish out of water, he threw his hand back and forth across his opponent's face, first hitting him with a right hook, then backhanding him, and repeating the process four times on each side. When he finished, the god's face was purple and red with knots and bruises. The invader cared nothing about the damage, though, and dropped Raiden like a heavy sack onto the grass.

As Shao Kahn stomped the god squarely in the chest, Sub-Zero felt pain in his ribs flair up once more, and as he clutched his injury to stabilize it, he sleepily wondered when the Elder Gods were going to make an appearance. At first, he thought his idea was a good one, but as the fight between the two realms' rulers wore on, Kuai Liang decided he had presumed too much. He had listened to his emotions rather than his brain, once again proving Oniro right about him. He hung his head down in shame and defeat while the Emperor threw Raiden across the graveyard as easily as a child's toy. Whatever happened to the Earth from this point on was now on his soul.

"You are weak," Shao Kahn snarled as he lifted the god by his blue tunic and hoisted him off the ground until he was at eye level to him. "You do not deserve to rule Earthrealm. You have foolishly frittered away all its resources. Everything was yours for the taking, but you have wasted your opportunities! But I won't. Too long you have stood in my way, Raiden, trying to keep me from taking that which rightfully belongs to me. You have blocked me for thousands of years. But today, _I_ beat you."

Raiden's head sagged. "Yes," he agreed grudgingly. "You beat me."

"No!" half of the warriors cried at the declaration. Some of them then glanced over at Sub-Zero, who felt their accusatory glares bore into him more painfully than his broken rib cage stabbed at his lungs. He would have sighed, but couldn't, and winced in humiliation instead. Suddenly, he felt tiny fingers thread themselves around his, and when he looked he saw them connected to Annalise's hand.

"It'll be okay," she mouthed at him reassuringly before she squeezed a little and then looked back at the fight. Well, for now, she was right. Her touch filled him with peace once again, and he relaxed as the adrenaline coursing through him from the fight and from his injury receded. He stared at the battle again too.

The Emperor dropped the god, and raised his hammer once more. This time, Shao Kahn held it over his head like an axe, but just as he started to bring it down, a bright explosion of gold light burst through the greenish sky, and he hesitated. Everyone looked up and watched as three ethereal dragons raced through the portal and soared straight for the graveyard. Within seconds, they swirled around Raiden before transforming into humanoid figures.

The first dragon was Chinese with a lion-like head and serpentine body that had a dark blue fin at the end of its tail. Its belly was black and its scales were blue like a cold sea, and when it made a pass over the Earthrealm warriors, Sub-Zero heard the unmistakable whoosh of the ocean breaking on a shoreline and smelled salty surf before it finally landed on the grass in a pillar of water. The water quickly receded into a person: Himavat. His ancestor's face was a solemn mask, but when no one else was looking, he winked at Kuai Liang. Relief flooded the Cryomancer when he realized not only was his little prayer to his great-grandfather heard, but that his little gamble seemed to have paid off.

Then the second dragon – Aztec in appearance with long, sweeping horns protruding from its skull and tail, colored red and green – landed behind Raiden in a column of fire that angrily churned upward as if someone doused it with gasoline. A woman dressed in a skirt made from writhing snakes and a headdress constructed from colorful feathers and gold then emerged from the flames. Her skin was the color of mocha, but she had painted her mouth and nose solid black, and wore heavy gold earrings in her ears.

Lastly, the third dragon circled around, carrying with it the sweet fragrance of lilacs. It had a ghastly appearance that reminded Sub-Zero of the Greek Hydra, but this dragon had three heads rather than nine and leathery wings like a bat. Its belly was yellow however, and its scales were dark green but dusted with sparkling gold, and when it landed it looked at the warriors with kind, sea-foam colored eyes. A tornado rife with fine dust enveloped it, and a moment later another woman, this one dressed in a pale blue chiton and her dark hair twisted into intricate braids on her crown – stepped forward. Tenderly, she rested her hand on Raiden's shoulder.

"Get up, Raiden," she ordered in a motherly tone, and he obeyed, though he was weak. Sub-Zero understood the feeling.

"Ah, Himavat," Shao Kahn began as he fearlessly addressed the new beings. "Toci," he said nodding to the Aztec-looking woman. "Gaia," he acknowledged the Greek. "It's been too long. Tell me, why have the Elder Gods interfered with my business like a bunch of meddling, busybody old hens?"

"What an egotistical prick," Sonya muttered to her teammates, and Sub-Zero had to agree.

"He…must…not…think…they…can…hurt…him," he gasped in response. Then he clutched his chest. It was harder than ever to breathe now, a suffocating feeling that he imagined drowning victims must endure before they finally die. The pain from that seemed worse than the pain from the broken bones. He looked up with weary eyes. The spots in his vision were bigger and brighter now.

"I hope that asshole is wrong if that's the case," Kabal replied.

"No shit," Jax added.

The Elder Goddess Toci spoke with a furious scowl. "You have violated the rules of Mortal Kombat, Shao Kahn," she said in a scratchy, but intimidating, voice.

"You have violated the will of the Elder Gods," Gaia added in a more melodious but no less ominous tone.

"And now you will face our judgment," Himavat declared.

With that, all three of the Elder Gods rested a hand on Raiden's shoulders, somehow creating a flurry of little golden dragons that orbited around him in frenzy before they all plunged into him at once. An aura of gold and white light bathed the thunder god, immediately washing away all his injuries. Shao Kahn watched in silence, but then started to laugh once again as he picked up his hammer.

With a ferocious roar, the Emperor swung his weapon at Raiden, but the thunder god leaned back and easily ducked. Then the invader slashed his outstretched arm back the other way, and missed yet again when his target dodged the blow. Now, grunting in frustration, he whirled around with the grace and speed of a dance, but he still missed, so he let his momentum spin him around once more, and as he came around he brought the hammer over his head and chopped downwards. Raiden didn't duck, this time, but instead caught Shao Kahn's arms in his hands and squeezed until his opponent finally dropped his weapon.

"Leave Earthrealm while you can still walk," he commanded. Sub-Zero would have chuckled at that had not the pain become unbearable now that the adrenaline in his blood subsided.

"Earthrealm is mine!" the invader screamed back as he gripped the thunder god by his robes and threw him through a tree.

As the Emperor stomped towards him, Raiden patiently waited on all fours. Angrily, Shao Kahn leapt into the air to tackle him, but the moment his feet left the ground, so did the god's. Like a superhero pulled from the pages of a comic book, he stretched his body out and sailed fist-first into his opponent with a jarring Chinese war cry. He caught the astonished Emperor by the face and shoved him into the ruins of the mausoleum. Shao Kahn quickly recovered, however, and immediately hoisted a large piece of the ruined brick wall into the air and threw it at Raiden, nearly taking his head off in one fell swoop.

But the god, who was racing towards his opponent, bent backwards like a reed in the wind, and easily avoided it. Even still, it bought the Emperor enough time to recover his hammer, and he promptly threw it. It caught Raiden in the chest and carried him backwards before the weight of it pinned him to the grass. He struggled quickly to get it off his body, but before he could, Shao Kahn was upon him and beating him in the face once more before he shoved a hand crackling with electricity in his enemy's face. It electrocuted the invader, distracting him long enough for Raiden to get to his feet and land a punch directly to his opponent's jaw. Teeth and blood immediately exploded from his mouth.

Shao Kahn fell to the ground, and Earthrealm's warriors – save for Sub-Zero – cheered. Annalise squeezed his hand yet again, and looked at him with a relieved smile, but alarm flooded her eyes when she stared at his face. Without a word, she gripped his wrist pulse for the second time that day, and then looked down at his chest and began counting under her breath. He quickly figured out she was counting his respirations.

"Your lips and eyelids are turning blue," she told him, trying to veil the panic in her voice but failing.

"Dude, she's right," Johnny said. "Hopefully Ray-dude wraps this up quickly."

"I can call for help," Jax announced as he whipped out his radio and barked commands at the soldiers on the other side. "Just in case this goes on much longer."

Kuai Liang's attention waxed and waned between them and the thunder god, but eventually the latter won the contest. Raiden was not finished thrashing his enemy yet, and the ice warrior wanted to watch the god make him suffer for terrorizing the nurse. While the Emperor moaned and gripped his face in what the Cryomancer presumed was pain, the thunder god leapt onto his shoulders and wrapped his long arms around the invader's thick throat. He clamped down hard, refusing to let go as his enemy turned red to purple, and only let go when his victim somehow managed to yank him from his back and throw him to the side. Shao Kahn furiously lunged at Raiden, but the god calmly leapt to his feet and threw his arms into the air.

Blue-white electricity surged around his hands and body, and jagged jets of power beamed from his palms into the night sky. Deafening thunder boomed all around them, and suddenly, Sub-Zero noticed that Annalise's hair had partially stood on end from the growing static. Small bolts exploded from Raiden's white eyes, and as he slowly looked up, several larger bolts converged into one giant one that darted down from the sky and hit Shao Kahn directly. As blinding light seared the warriors' corneas, forcing them to hide their faces in discomfort, the energy stretched and expanded around the Emperor as it ruthlessly electrocuted him. For the first time since his arrival, he wailed in pain, and Kuai Liang was certain he smelled burning dog hair waft through the graveyard as an unmistakable sizzling sound flooded his ears. In moments, glowing sparks rained onto their heads. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Raiden grunted one last time and blasted Shao Kahn back through the portal on the largest bolt of lightning yet. The Emperor screamed as it devoured him before vanishing completely. The sound filled Sub-Zero with vengeful satisfaction, like a terrible thirst quenched by ice water.

"_Now_ it's over," Himavat said with a grin, earning a wayward glance from his two sisters.

Toci shook her head slightly before facing Raiden. "You will come with us," she ordered.

"It is not a request," Gaia added. She touched him, and immediately all four deities disappeared completely.

"What? Wait!" Annalise cried. "Where the hell is he going? Raiden!"

"It's too late, baby girl," Jax told her. "He's already gone. But I've got help coming."

"I'll…be…okay," Sub-Zero croaked as he tried to flash a reassuring smile at the nurse.

"You're right. You _will _be okay. Just…hang on," she replied as her voice broke.

He said nothing as he contemplated what a ridiculous and unusual day this day had been for him. That morning, he had been a friendless orphan in China, struggling all alone in a world truly out to get him. That evening, he was in America, and now he had a mother, new comrades, and a pain-in-the-ass friend who somehow made him feel peculiarly protective and concerned at the exact same time she managed to piss him off and drive him nuts. He thought about Annalise and how he probably wouldn't get to know her, or his mom, or any of his new teammates now, and it saddened him. They were kind of like family, in a strange sort of way, and even though they hadn't spent much time together, he felt more connected to them than he ever did to his brothers in the Lin Kuei. Well, with the exception of Tomas and Bi-han, that was. Kuai Liang asked himself if Fate ever planned for him to have children, but he knew that if it did, he'd be a much better father to them than An-Zhi had been to him and Bi-han. Of course, having a family first required falling in love, at least according to his moral compass, and that urge had effectively been erased from his heart completely by the Lin Kuei. Though, as he stared at Annalise, he began to wonder if the clan had been as effective at that as they thought.

"Annalise?" he began, struggling to stay awake now. "I...don't...want...to...die...yet," he said.

And then the world around him abruptly went black.


	28. Sponges and Squirrels

He wasn't certain how long he'd been asleep, yet at some point Kuai Liang found himself fighting his way back to the waking world. However, he soon discovered it was more difficult than he thought getting there. His rest was troubled because he told himself he should wake up, but his brain simply laughed at him and plunged him back into nightmares of recent events. Once, however, it allowed him to open his eyes, and though he couldn't be sure if it was a dream or reality, he saw Annalise flipping through a narrow binder at the foot of his bed. In a haze, he imagined she'd traded her scrubs for a tight white t-shirt and jeans that accentuated the fine curvature of her body. Kuai Liang wanted to touch her, but when he lifted his arm, he found it was too heavy and it flopped weakly onto his bed once more. She looked up and smiled at him, her face radiant in the artificial light, but he unwillingly drifted back asleep once more.

At least now, however, his brain let him dream of her.

Sometime later, Kuai Liang pried his eyes open again and took a moment to let them adjust to the dim light. His lungs still burned like they did when Shao Kahn crushed them with the hammer, but at least his breathing came a little easier now, his effort aided by the oxygen rushing into his nose through tubes and his bed adjusted to a forty-five degree angle. He saw that he was dressed in a loose gown, and he promptly lifted the hem to his chin to see if part of his rib cage still floated inside his chest, but the only thing he could see was a sea of white. From his belly to his clavicle, there was nothing but thick padding and surgical tape. The Cryomancer shifted slightly in his bed and felt something move between his legs. Suspiciously, he lifted his blankets and saw that someone put a catheter in him, and the knowledge that a stranger saw and touched him while he was unconscious flooded him with instant humiliation. If Tomas were here, he'd be having a field day making jokes. He grunted in weary annoyance and then dropped his covers back into place.

"Hey, look who's finally awake!" a voice cried enthusiastically. Kuai Liang looked to the doorway and saw Johnny standing on the threshold, waving for someone in the hall to come to him. The Cryomancer rubbed his eyes tiredly. Not Johnny. _Anyone_ but Johnny.

A moment later, Liu, Kitana, and Jade wedged through the doorway as well. "Hello, Sub-Zero," Kitana greeted first. She had traded her scanty outfit for a purple sweater and black slacks. Beside her, he noticed Jade's arm was wrapped in a cast from her fingers to her shoulder. She too had traded in her indecent clothes for a sheer green blouse and black skirt.

"How are you feeling?" Liu asked as Johnny plopped into the chair in the corner.

"Alive." He paused. "Where am I?"

"You're in a military hospital in some secret base," the actor explained. "Very hush hush. We had to get special clearance from the big-wigs just to come see you all. I think Jax pulled some serious strings, but even still, we get an escort from the gate all the way to this hall, and there's a guard outside to make sure we stay put. Stryker and Nightwolf are here too. Their brains were scrambled, but they're a lot better now."

Sub-Zero remembered how Shao Kahn stunned them with some sort of magic, and then the other events surrounding the invasion surged through his memory at once. He looked at his teammates. "What's going on out there? Is everything…back to normal?"

"Well, after Raiden defeated Shao Kahn, all the invading squads retreated," the Shaolin monk explained. "But there have been a lot of casualties. And of course, a lot of things got destroyed. It's going to be a while before things get back to normal."

At the mention of the Emperor's name, the Cryomancer remembered Annalise. He sat up straight, ignoring his ribs' angry protest as he did. "Annalise! Is she safe? What-"

"Dude, the naughty nurse is alright," Johnny stopped him.

He scowled. "Don't talk about her like that," he snapped. "And don't call me 'dude.' Where is she?"

"Jeez, take it easy," the actor replied, holding up his hands. "I'm just saying that girl is smokin' hot. She shouldn't be a nurse, she should be in Hollywood. Of course, I bet that could make for some great foreplay. Hey, you know her better than I do. Think I've got a shot at her?"

"Johnny," Jade hissed as the Cryomancer felt ice flow into his hands.

"What? What did I say?"

Kuai Liang glared at his teammate and raised his fist. "I'm gonna kill you," he growled.

Kitana must have sensed what was coming, so she gently grabbed his wrist and forced it down. "Calm down, Sub-Zero," she said softly. "Annalise is around here somewhere, and has been since Jax's sky healers brought you, Nightwolf, and Kurtis to this place."

"Sky healers?" he repeated, looking to Liu for an explanation as his powers receded.

"A medevac team," the monk said. "They brought you here in a helicopter."

"Oh," he replied, nodding his understanding. "Do you know where she is? I want to see her."

"I think she's with Kabal."

Sub-Zero's anger instantly returned, and he felt his cheeks flush with fire as his face wrenched into an ugly mask. He gripped the bedrails to adjust his posture on the mattress, and suddenly he heard a familiar cracking and popping sound. Beneath his skin, frosty white ice stretched and expanded until both sides were completely frozen. He looked at what he'd done stupidly. Why did he keep doing that?

"Man, what'd the bedrails ever do to you?" Johnny asked.

Kuai Liang ignored the sarcastic remark, and instead glanced up at his teammates, all of whom bore wide-eyed expressions on their faces. When he gazed at Liu, the monk quickly added, "They're just checking on Stryker. She's been going back and forth between all three of you, and since Kabal obviously has a history with him and wanted to see him, she volunteered to take him to him."

"Whatever," he grumbled, leaning back once more and crossing his arms angrily. Kabal was a great warrior and had proven himself helpful to Earthrealm's cause, but Sub-Zero did _not _like the idea of Annalise hanging around him alone. "Did Raiden ever return?"

"He did."

"And?"

"And the Elder Gods made him one of them. He's now the Elder God of Air, taking Shinnok's place."

"Good to know someone got rewarded for this nightmare," he drily remarked.

Now Jade spoke. "You do not think you have been rewarded?" she asked with a knowing smile. "You have lost much in recent weeks, Cryomancer. I do not think anyone would argue that. But, have you not gained much as well? Have you not made new allies, and met a woman you clearly care much for? Have you not learned your true heritage and that you are the descendent of an Elder God?"

He sighed. She had a point. "I suppose you're right," he agreed, relaxing.

"But now I wish to know something, Sub-Zero," Kitana interrupted. "Now that Shao Kahn has been defeated, and Earthrealm secure, will you keep fighting alongside us?"

Kuai Liang looked around at them. They gazed back expectantly, clearly hoping he'd say yes. And then his eyes met Johnny, who promptly said, "Come on, buddy, it'll be fun! Give us a chance to get to know each other."

"I'm leaving," he immediately announced, looking at the princess.

"Oh, come on!" he heard the actor yelp from the corner.

He ignored him. "I've got to find my sister," he said. "And I've also got to find a way to redeem my brother's soul, and save Smoke from the Lin Kuei. I'm sorry. It's just something I have to do. I owe it to them. They would do the same for me if the tables were turned."

"Would you like our help?" Jade asked.

"Thank you, but no," he answered. "I think I've got to do this alone."

"May the Elder Gods watch over you, then," Liu told him as he rested his hand on his shoulder. "If you need anything, we will be here for you."

"Thank you," he replied.

"Hi," a new voice said from the doorway. Sub-Zero jumped and then kicked himself for letting himself be startled. He saw Annalise standing on the threshold.

Jade grinned sensuously at him, and then looked to the others. "Let us go," she declared. "I would like to see Nightwolf now. Come, Johnny." She motioned for the actor to follow him.

He promptly obeyed, but before he left with the others, he leaned over Sub-Zero and whispered, "I'm sorry about before, man. I didn't realize…That's one amazing woman you've got there."

"But she's not mine," he corrected.

"Well, between you and me," he began, "chicks don't hang around in a hospital for a few days just because. She seriously hasn't gone home once. Food for thought, bro." Then he patted Sub-Zero on the arm before he stood up, and made a strange hand gesture that involved bending his fingers until they looked like a gun, and pretended to fire at the Cryomancer. Then he looked at the nurse. "Go get him, Kiddo," he said to her with a smirk as he left the room.

"Annalise," he croaked, suddenly noticing the scratchy dryness of his throat.

"What was that about?" she grinned as she came inside and stood by the bed. He immediately noticed the evil bruise marring half her face. Her eye was completely swollen shut and shaded a sickly purple and red color. Guilt coursed through him. He would've spared her that, and he cursed his weakness for being unable to defend her against Shao Kahn.

"Who knows?" he lied, feeling ashamed.

"He's kind of an idiot."

Sub-Zero nodded. "Yeah, but he's a decent man." He couldn't believe he'd just said that. Not two minutes ago, he wanted to kill the guy. But, Johnny's apology had raised his opinion of him quite considerably. And, he did give him pause to think. She _wouldn't_ have stuck around for days unless she cared deeply for the patient. The question was _who_ did she stay for? She barely spoke to Nightwolf, so it was doubtful she remained for him. So that left him or Stryker. But a little voice inside of him, wishful thinking perhaps, insisted Stryker was purely an afterthought. She stayed for _him_.

"I guess," she replied.

"Annalise, I'm glad to see you. You have no idea."

"You know you can call me Anya if you want."

"I thought you only let your friends call you that."

She chuffed softly at the remark. "Well, after what we've gone through together, I think it's safe to say we're friends." He looked up at her and admired her body. She _was _dressed in a snug t-shirt and jeans. It hadn't been a dream after all. Oblivious to his hopeless gawking, she rested her hands on the bedrail, then recoiled when they felt ice. "Oh, my God!" she cried. "What happened to the rails?"

"I froze them," he answered, embarrassment flooding his cheeks.

"Why on earth did you do that?"

"It was an accident."

With an astonished look on her face, she laughed softly. "Okay, then. How do you feel?" she asked.

"Better than I did," he answered. "I can breathe again, so I suppose that's something. What happened to me?"

She paused and swallowed hard, a distressed expression crossing her face. "The doctors had to do surgery on you. You punctured your lung, and it collapsed. The other side had broken ribs too, but thankfully, they didn't puncture anything. They were trying to, though. So basically, the surgeon had you in a medically induced coma on a ventilator for the last three days, and it was touch and go for a while. But you finally stabilized during the night last night, so the surgeon took you off it this morning. Thank goodness you're a fighter."

"Huh." Kuai Liang knew it sounded stupid, but it was all he could think of to say.

"Do you want some water?" she asked as she found his pitcher on the bedside table. "I imagine you're throat is pretty sore right now. You've had a pretty big tube shoved down it."

"Yes, please," he answered as she stared at him expectantly.

She moved to the sink to fill the pitcher. Then she poured a cup and handed it to him, watching him while he gulped it down. It was ice cold and refreshing on his irritated throat. But he frowned, unable to take his eyes off her bruised face. He wanted to cut Shao Kahn into little pieces for daring to lay a hand on her.

"I'm sorry he hurt you," he apologized.

An ornery grin spread over her lips. "This?" Anya asked as she pointed to her black eye. "Aw, this is nothing. You do remember I work in an insane asylum, right? Good ol' Edward packs a meaner punch than the Emperor." She laughed lightly, but Kuai Liang knew she was lying.

"Well, if it's all the same to you, when I get out of here, I'll show you how to defend yourself."

"Okay, easy there, Tiger," she said as she held up her hands. "Are you expecting more interdimensional tyrants to attack me in the future?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. But I'd feel a lot better knowing you could handle yourself in a fight. You've got to be able to protect yourself."

"Are you hungry?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"No, not really," he answered truthfully, bewildered by her avoidance.

"Oh, good, I thought you must be," she said as if she hadn't heard him.

"No, Anya, I'm not-"

"Yeah, don't argue with me," she replied. "You argued with me about going to the hospital, and you damn near died."

"But I _didn't_ die," he protested.

"Only because I am a ninja of the very ancient and sacred art of nursing," she waved her hands around in a pseudo-karate chop. Kuai Liang thought she looked more like she was having a seizure than demonstrating a martial arts form, but he found it terribly funny and chuckled before he realized it still hurt.

"Don't make me laugh," he groaned.

"Then don't argue with me," she smiled. "You're eating, if I have to force it down your throat with a plastic tube. I may not know Kung-Fu, but I _do _know how to do that." She put her hands on her hips and stared at him as if daring him to defy her.

"But I'm really not hungry."

"Don't make me do Choppin' Broccoli," she threatened.

He had no idea what that meant, but he didn't really want to find out when his lungs still ached, so he nodded in concession, unable to conceal his smile. "All right," he said, so she pressed a button on his bed and called his nurse to ask for a food tray.

"I'll help you eat if you want," she volunteered. "I don't mind. I know it probably hurts to lift your arms. But first, may I?" She pointed to his chest.

"What are you going to do?" he asked after he nodded yes.

"I just want to check the bandages to make sure these incisions are draining properly. Gotta make sure the Scarecrow isn't losing his stuffing," she laughed as she got a pair of surgical gloves from a dispensary box on the wall.

"Anya, what does that mean?" he asked in all seriousness. "What Scarecrow?"

"Haven't you ever seen _The Wizard of Oz_?" she asked.

"No, I haven't seen _any_ movies. Ever."

"Are you serious?"

He slightly shrugged. "It wasn't important to the Lin Kuei, and if it wasn't important, we didn't have it."

She thought about what he'd said as she folded down his covers. "Well, we're gonna have to do something about that," she finally declared. Then she carefully rolled up his hospital gown, revealing the white pads and surgical tape beneath. Her long fingers gently brushed his skin as they peeled back the bandages, sending flurries of excitement through him until he scarcely noticed his pain. Anya leaned over and sniffed the injuries, which intrigued him, and then she stood up again and refastened the tape.

"Why did you just smell me?" he asked.

"Looking for infection. A bad smell is one of the first signs."

"And?"

She flashed that ornery grin at him once more. "And your skin smells good, like hand sanitizer and iodine." She peeled off her gloves and threw them away.

Kuai Liang raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like it smells very good to me."

"It does to me. Nothing like the smell of antiseptic in the evening! It's what I live for." She laughed when she saw the look of confusion on his face, and tousled his hair gently. "It's a nurse thing." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. Pleasant chills raced down his spine. "I meant to tell you that I have some news."

"Good or bad?"

"Good. I talked to my father. He said your mom will be getting out of Rockford soon. She's really pulled herself together since you came to see her the other day. It's like she's a whole new woman. I think you'd be proud of her for making such great strides."

He smiled. "I _am_ proud of her. For that, and so much more."

Anya sat on the edge of the bed beside him, never releasing his hand. "I've been calling her on the phone to give her updates about you. She wanted me to send you her love." She paused. "Thank you, Connor, for bringing her some comfort and closure. And, well, thanks for everything else too." She held his hand to her heart, and he immediately decided he liked the feel of the swell of her breast beneath his knuckles.

"You're welcome," he said, having trouble thinking of anything but her body now. "But please…call me Kuai Liang. I know that Connor's my real name, but seriously, Kuai Liang is the only one I've been called for as long as I can remember."

"Okay. _Kuai Liang_."

"Besides, I think I should be the one doing the thanking."

At that point, a stern black woman dressed in green fatigues came into his room toting a tray of food. Her plastic nametag said 'Paige Reed: CNA' along with other credentials, numbers, and a barcode, and her insignia indicated she was a Private. "Glad to see you're finally awake," she said as she pulled his tray table to the side of his bed and set his dinner on top of it. "Now, Dr. Jones wants you on a soft diet, so that's what you got."

He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. He was on a soft diet, just like a baby? The idea bothered him. He wanted Annalise to see him as strong, as a man. Not as a mewling kitten. Women, Tomas once told him, _said_ they wanted to see their mates as vulnerable, sensitive human beings, but in reality they wanted to know their men could protect them like a proverbial knight in shining armor. Kuai Liang thought that both of those expectations were unrealistic, but even still, it already crossed his mind that being laid up in the hospital like a weak, newborn infant must have somehow negatively impacted her opinion of him. That didn't even count her thoughts about him being stabbed and crushed in front of her on the same day. He didn't need this added humiliation to contend with too.

"Do you need help eating?" Paige asked as she grinned knowingly at the young, off-duty nurse. "Or are you in good hands with Annalise here?"

"I think I'm in good hands," he said, flushing in embarrassment as she raised his bed up even more so that he could sit up to eat.

"That's nice. I'll be back in a little bit to get your tray and take your vitals." And with that, she left.

Anya promptly began feeding him applesauce, chicken soup, and apple juice until the serving cups were completely clean. It felt good to eat, and he was much hungrier than he thought. It hurt to swallow, however, mainly because his ribs still slightly felt like they brushed against each other with their jagged edges inside his chest, but he tried to be a good patient who didn't complain. Surely, she already thought him weak, but he didn't have to make her think he was whiny too. If she had any such thoughts, she hid them well.

Wordlessly, she grabbed a remote connected to the bed by a thin wire, clicked some buttons to turn on the TV, and found cartoons. On the screen, the same sponge-man and starfish that were printed on her scrubs a few days ago danced across the screen in their ridiculous antics. She smiled sadly, undoubtedly thinking of little Tasha because he knew _he _was, and set the remote down before she grabbed a cup of thick, brownish-black substance and swirled the spoon through it. Kuai Liang sighed, remembering how not too long ago, he had rebuked Tomas for watching a children's television show. The tables had turned, much to his chagrin.

"I'm a grown man, and you've got me watching a silly cartoon."

She grinned. "That's the price you have to pay for me to feed you," she shot back as she fed him that suspicious food on the spoon. A pleasant sweetness overwhelmed his taste buds.

He liked it. "What is that stuff?" he asked.

"Are you serious? This is chocolate pudding," Anya replied.

"Again, if the Lin Kuei didn't find it important, we didn't have it," he retorted.

"But chocolate _is _important!" she grinned. "It's comfort food. And it's saved many a man from a terrible fate I like to call 'death by girlfriend.'" She paused. "So what do you have against SpongeBob?"

Kuai Liang raised an eyebrow. "SpongeBob?" he repeated. "Well, let's start with the name. And then there's the fact that he's a cleaning sponge, not a sea sponge. And now they've got a fire burning underwater. That's just…stupid!"

"I think he's cute." She flashed a knowing grin at him. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. She was up to something.

"What's with the squirrel in the space suit?" he asked a moment later when he returned his vision to the TV.

"That's Sandy," she explained, still flashing him an ornery smile. "Just a girl who wandered into Spongebob's world one day and found it so intriguing she couldn't bring herself to leave. A very curious squirrel, that Sandy."

On the screen, the talking yellow sponge let out an obnoxious laugh that lasted at least thirty seconds longer than was necessary. By the time he finally let up, the Cryomancer's teeth were on edge, and he was on the brink of throwing ice daggers through the glass. Instead, he looked at Anya, who was now maneuvering the rolling table out of the way. "He's annoying."

"Well, that's the thing about SpongeBob," she began with a smirk as she sat on the edge of his bed again and took both his hands in her own. Then her eyes met his. "I'm a grown woman, right? But I'm channel-surfing one day, and I find this cartoon, and I start to watch it. Like you, it bugged the crap out of me at first. I mean, who could possibly find this guy redeeming?" Anya leaned closer. "But, even though I just wanted to move on and find something better to watch, I couldn't. I kept watching, and he started to grow on me. And then, God help me, I realized I actually liked him!"

Kuai Liang stared back in confusion. He got the feeling she was being coy. "I don't understand what that means," he said.

Anya chuckled softly. "Oh, dear. Kuai Liang, methinks I'm being too subtle." With that, she leaned over, cupped his face with her hands, and gently pressed her lips onto his. Even though their faces were bruised, swollen messes, the exhilaration he felt when her fat lip gently sucked on his somehow swept his breath from his lungs, and on the monitor tracking his vital signs above him, his heart line spiked with an erratic and high-pitched beep. Her lips were just so soft, and so full, and they prompted scorching fire to spread through his muscles, including his crotch. He was shocked to find he wanted more. This…this was practically _forbidden_ in the Lin Kuei, he reminded himself, and therefore he needed to make her stop. _Shut up, you idiot!_ his brain promptly screamed back. _You're not Lin Kuei anymore_. That voice won, thankfully, because he didn't want to obey the other. But before he could kiss her back harder, Anya pulled away and cocked her head expectantly at him.

"What was that for?" he asked in all sincerity.

"What can I say, Kuai Liang?" she replied as she pushed his hair back with her delicate fingers and then kissed his forehead for good measure. "You're my SpongeBob." She immediately slid off the bed, much to his disappointment, and grabbed a black motorcycle jacket and helmet from beside her chair in the corner. "Now that I know you're gonna live, I'm gonna go home now and go to bed. I'm pretty tired, and my back is _killing_ me for sleeping in a chair these last few days. Not that I slept much, but you know. But I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed as she leaned on the door jamb and looked back.

"Hey, Kuai Liang?"

"Yeah?"

"When you're better, would you like to hang sometime?"

"Hang what?"

She burst out laughing. "I mean would you like to go to dinner with me, silly? Watch a movie, go to the mall. Just something. Let me try to give you a crash course in American culture. You _obviously_ have a lot of catching up to do."

"Sounds good," he replied, trying to maintain his cool exterior. But the heart monitor above him beeped rhythmically in time with the butterflies doing aerial jumps for joy in his stomach, belying him. He gently rubbed his belly, silently commanding them to stop flapping.

"Cool. Well, get some sleep. You need it."

_Like I'll be able to sleep after that._

But he kept his thought to himself and nodded, saying, "You too." His heart leapt into his throat when he thought of her climbing into her bed. He wished he could go with her, and was slightly tempted to pull the IV from his arm to follow her. But, he was certain she'd stop him if he tried, so he quelled the urge. Embarrassed as if she could read his thoughts, he cleared his throat and suddenly became very fascinated with the IV tubing jutting from his right knuckle.

His awkwardness seemed to amuse her though, and before she walked into the hall, she blew him a kiss and said, "Good night, Kuai Liang." Then she was gone before he could reply.

He immediately missed her and wanted her to come back, and he looked at the empty doorframe in longing. When she didn't return like he wanted, he sulked for a minute before he started watching Spongebob's antics once again. Annalise had left the remote to the TV on the table out of his reach, so he was stuck watching the annoying cartoon until someone came in and gave him the controller. He vaguely got the notion she did that on purpose, so he frowned and carefully crossed his arms and stared at the screen, wondering why on Earth she liked that talking sponge so much.

Tomas would've liked this show. A little surge of sadness drifted through him as he thought of his best friend, and his brother, and even his sister. He'd meant what he told his teammates. He was determined to find a way to save them all. He just wished he knew where to begin. But as Sub-Zero watched the sponge and the starfish and the squirrel on the screen, he felt relaxed for the first time in ages. Before he knew it, he found himself daydreaming about Anya, gradually drifting back to sleep as he came to the conclusion that in spite of the problems he still needed to tackle, at that moment, all was right with the world. In the background, he heard Spongebob cackle once more. This time, Kuai Liang laughed too.

**THE END**


	29. Acknowledgements

Holy Mortal Kombat, Batman! I was looking at my story stats just now, and as of today, I've had nearly 8,000 readers since the start of my story and over 1,400 hundred readers for the month of August alone. That's friggin' awesome! Words can't express how grateful I feel to know that so many people wanted to read my humble little story, so I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all. I wish I could thank each and every one of you individually, but because that's physically impossible, I hope this acknowledgement page suffices.

Now that my story is done, obviously I've got to edit it because it is a rough draft. Thank you to the reviewers who gave me some good revision points. Sometimes, as all my fellow writers know, it's hard to see what exactly needs to be fixed because you've been staring at the story for so long. It blinds you to the mistakes! I'm so glad we have a forum like this where people can help us hone our craft by giving us feedback.

In other news, I'm going to start writing a sequel to this one, and I hope you all are as excited as I am at the prospect. I won't go too much into detail, but you can expect to see Frost make her debut. Also, a lot of people have been PM'ing me, asking if Annalise will still be around. The answer is yes, yes she will. It's so cool to see you guys invested in her character. I wasn't sure, when I first introduced her, if I even should. But everyone's reaction to her has been so positive that I'm glad I did!

So, to wrap things up, thank you again for your continued support and giving me the encouragement I needed to write and finish this story. You guys rock! ~Fist bump~

-Sincerely Yours,

Poe's Daughter


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